Preparation and properties of primary maintenance cultures of adult rabbit hepatocytes.
Static and rotary cultures of adult rabbit hepatocytes can be produced reproducibly following their isolation by means of a simplified, inexpensive recycling perfusion system. Light and electron microscopic examination of the cultures showed that these hepatocytes retained the morphological characteristics of fully differentiated hepatic parenchymal cells for up to 5 days in static culture and for up to 10 days in rotary culture, after which time they progressively degenerated and were replaced by other cell types. These hepatocytes exhibit several major metabolic functions characteristic of liver in vivo, including bromsulphthalein uptake, albumin synthesis, bilirubin conjugation, lipid synthesis, urea production and responsiveness to insulin. The xenobiotic metabolising capability of the cultured hepatocytes was much more stable than that of rat hepatocytes and the mixed function oxidase activity was typical of cytochrome P-450, rather than cytochrome P-448 as indicated by the metabolite profiles of biphenyl, aminopyrine, ethylmorphine, benzo[a]pyrene and 7-ethoxycoumarin. Treatment with phenobarbitone led to drug metabolising enzyme induction: SKF525A and alpha-naphthoflavone were effective inhibitors of drug metabolising activity.
D000675:Ampyrone / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003374:Coumarins / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000032:analysis; D011335:Proadifen / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits
D001798:Blood Proteins; D003374:Coumarins; D000675:Ampyrone; C017299:7-ethoxycoumarin; D011335:Proadifen; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases