title: Induction of acute phase proteins by dexamethasone in rat hepatocyte primary cultures.
abstract: The effect of dexamethasone on the synthesis of acute phase proteins has been studied in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. In the absence of dexamethasone no detectable amounts of alpha 2-macroglobulin were synthesized by hepatocytes cultured for 1 day. alpha 2-Macroglobulin synthesis was induced by dexamethasone concentrations of 10(-8) M or higher with a maximum at a concentration of 10(-7) M. alpha 1-Acid glycoprotein was synthesized in the absence of dexamethasone; however, its synthesis was also greatly stimulated by dexamethasone concentrations of 10(-8)-10(-6) M. Synthesis of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor was stimulated only 1.4-fold at a dexamethasone concentration of 10(-7) M. The kinetics of induction of alpha 2-macroglobulin and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein were studied at a dexamethasone concentration of 10(-7) M. After an initial lag phase of 3 h the synthesis of both proteins showed a steady increase during 2 days. Synthesis of albumin remained unchanged under these experimental conditions. Unlike alpha 2-macroglobulin and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein tyrosine aminotransferase activity increased already during the first 3 h of induction by dexamethasone with a maximum at 12 h followed by a slight decrease.
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D000818:Animals; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009961:Orosomucoid / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D001798:Blood Proteins; D009961:Orosomucoid; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins; D003907:Dexamethasone