title: Establishment of a primary hepatocyte culture from the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) and distribution of mercury in liver tissue.
abstract: The present study established a primary hepatocyte culture for the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus). To determine the suitable medium for growing the primary hepatic cells of this species, we compared the condition of cells cultured in three media that are frequently used for mammalian cell culture: Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium, RPMI-1640, and William's E. Of these, William's E medium was best suited for culturing the hepatic cells of this species. Using periodic acid-Schiff staining and ultrastructural observations, we demonstrated the cells collected from mongoose livers were hepatocytes. To evaluate the distribution of mercury (Hg) in the liver tissue, we carried out autometallography staining. Most of the Hg compounds were found in the central region of hepatic lobules. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum, which plays a role inxenobiotic metabolism, lipid/cholesterol metabolism, and the digestion and detoxification of lipophilic substances is grown in this area. This suggested that Hg colocalized with smooth endoplasmic reticulum. The results of the present study could be useful to identify the detoxification systems of wildlife with high Hg content in the body, and to evaluate the susceptibility of wildlife to Hg toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Regional Environment, Tottori University, 4-101 Koyamacho-Minami, Tottori, 680-8551, Japan, horais@rs.tottori-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Sawako
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horai
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yanagi
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaname
authors.forename: Masatatsu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Go
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ogura
authors.forename: Shintaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Shinsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Tatsuhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Furukawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003470:Culture Media; D018871:Endoplasmic Reticulum, Smooth / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008988:Herpestidae; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000378:metabolism*; D061251:Primary Cell Culture
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D008628:Mercury