title: Effect of rodent hepatocarcinogenic peroxisome proliferators on fatty acyl-CoA oxidase, DNA synthesis, and apoptosis in cultured human and rat hepatocytes.
abstract: The effects of the rodent hepatocarcinogens clofibric acid and diprofibrate on the activity of the peroxisomal fatty acyl-CoA oxidase, DNA synthesis, and apoptosis were compared in cultured rat and human hepatocytes. Rat hepatocytes expressed a 10-fold greater level of the peroxisomal fatty acyl-CoA oxidase compared to human hepatocytes. At the highest concentration (1.0 mM), both drugs induced a two- to threefold increase in this enzyme activity in both rat and human hepatocytes. Ciprofibrate (0.1 and 0.2 mM) caused a twofold increase in DNA synthesis in rat hepatocytes, whereas clofibric acid had no effect on DNA synthesis in these cells. In contrast, increasing concentrations of both clofibric acid and ciprofibrate produced inhibition of DNA synthesis in human hepatocytes. By using the terminal transferase dUTP-biotin nick end labeling technique, it was observed that 0.1 and 0.2 mM clofibric acid and ciprofibrate suppressed transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta)-induced apoptosis by 50% in rat hepatocytes, but they had no effect on TGF beta-induced apoptosis in human hepatocytes. Although clofibric acid and ciprofibrate diminished TGF beta-induced apoptosis, they had no effect on the basal apoptotic levels in the rat hepatocyte cultures. However, both drugs significantly increased the percent of apoptotic cells in the human hepatocyte cultures. It is concluded that primary rat and human hepatocyte cultures respond differently to peroxisome proliferators. The differences in effects on DNA synthesis and apoptosis support the hypothesis that human liver cells are refractory to peroxisome proliferator-induced hepatocarcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathology and Toxicology, American Health Foundation, Valhalla, New York 10595, USA.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Perrone
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D042962:Acyl-CoA Oxidase; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002995:Clofibric Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000633:toxicity*; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D058607:Fibric Acids; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects*; D008830:Microbodies / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D058607:Fibric Acids; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D002995:Clofibric Acid; D004247:DNA; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D042962:Acyl-CoA Oxidase; C019304:ciprofibrate