Cytoskeletal inhibitors, anti-adhesion molecule antibodies, and lectins inhibit hepatocyte spheroid formation.
We investigated the role of cytoskeletons, adhesion molecules, membrane-glycosylations, and proteoglycans in forming the shape of adult rat hepatocyte spheroids. Isolated hepatocytes were cultured on dishes coated with chondroitin sulfate phosphatidyl ethanolamine (CS-PE). Spheroid-forming ability was observed after adding cytoskeletal inhibitors (cytochalasin D, colchicine, okadaic acid, mycalolide B), anti-adhesion molecule antibodies (anti-E-cadherin, anti-connexin 32, anti-zo-1), a glycosphingolipid synthetic inhibitor (N-butyldeoxynojirimycin), a proteoglycan synthetic inhibitor (p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-xylopyranoside), and several lectins. Localization of actin was studied using confocal microscopy after rhodamine-phalloidin staining. Adding cytoskeletal inhibitors on the initial day resulted in weakly clustered cell aggregates rather than smoothly formed spheroids. These effects disappeared at lower reagent concentrations. When reagents were added on day 3, after the formation of spheroids, only mycalolide B was associated with an irregular spheroid surface; the others had no effect. Adding the anti-E-cadherin, anti-connexin 32 on the initial day showed inhibition of spheroid formation, but anti-zo-1 and proteoglycan synthetic inhibitor had no effects. Among the several lectins, only Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA), Ricinus communis Agglutinin I (RCA-I), and Concanavalin A (ConA) showed inhibition. These results suggest that cytoskeletal conformation and some adhesion molecules are necessary to form spheroids. Based on the interactions between lectins and hepatocytes in the present study, hepatocytes appear to contain an N-linked complex or N-linked hybrid glycosylated chains.
Nakamura
Masaki
M
Department of Internal Medicine I, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
Shinji
Toshiyuki
T
Ujike
Kozo
K
Hirasaki
Shoji
S
Koide
Norio
N
Tsuji
Takao
T
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000494:pharmacology; D015820:Cadherins / Q000276:immunology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000276:immunology*; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003078:Colchicine / Q000494:pharmacology; D015638:Cytochalasin D / Q000494:pharmacology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000187:drug effects*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006031:Glycosylation / Q000187:drug effects; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D037102:Lectins / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008387:Marine Toxins; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D019384:Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D019319:Okadaic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D010080:Oxazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D000906:Antibodies; D015820:Cadherins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D037102:Lectins; D008387:Marine Toxins; D019384:Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors; D010080:Oxazoles; C080978:mycalolide B; D019319:Okadaic Acid; D015638:Cytochalasin D; D003078:Colchicine