title: Collagen formation by the hepatocyte in primary monolayer culture and in vivo.
abstract: Immunohistochemical techniques were used to confirm biochemical evidence that parenchymal cells isolated from adult rat liver and maintained in nonreplicating monolayer culture for 2 days synthesized type IV basement membrane collagen. On continued incubation in serum-free medium, the hepatocytes also synthesized the interstitial collagens, types I and III. Consistent with these results in culture, type IV collagen was localized to the hepatocytes in slices of pathologic rat liver. Hence collagen formation is a previously unrecognized function of the hepatocyte that may be important in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis or cirrhosis.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen