title: Polarized location of SLC and ABC drug transporters in monolayer-cultured human hepatocytes.
abstract: Human hepatocytes cultured in a monolayer configuration represent a well-established in vitro model in liver toxicology, notably used in drug transporter studies. Polarized status of drug transporters, i.e., their coordinated location at sinusoidal or canalicular membranes, remains however incompletely documented in these cultured hepatocytes. The present study was therefore designed to analyze transporter expression and location in such cells. Most of drug transporters were first shown to be present at notable mRNA levels in monolayer-cultured human hepatocytes. Cultured human hepatocytes, which morphologically exhibited bile canaliculi-like structures, were next demonstrated, through immunofluorescence staining, to express the influx transporters organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) 1B1, OATP2B1 and organic cation transporter (OCT) 1 and the efflux transporter multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) 3 at their sinusoidal pole. In addition, the efflux transporters P-glycoprotein and MRP2 were detected at the canalicular pole of monolayer-cultured human hepatocytes. Moreover, canalicular secretion of reference substrates for the efflux transporters bile salt export pump, MRP2 and P-glycoprotein as well as sinusoidal drug transporter activities were observed. This polarized and functional expression of drug transporters in monolayer-cultured human hepatocytes highlights the interest of using this human in vitro cell model in xenobiotic transport studies.
authors: Institut de Recherches en Santé, Environnement et Travail (IRSET), UMR INSERM U1085, Faculté de Pharmacie, 2 Avenue du Pr Léon Bernard, 35043 Rennes, France.
authors: Marc
authors: M
authors: Le Vee
authors: Institut de Recherches en Santé, Environnement et Travail (IRSET), UMR INSERM U1085, Faculté de Pharmacie, 2 Avenue du Pr Léon Bernard, 35043 Rennes, France.
authors: Elodie
authors: E
authors: Jouan
authors: Institut de Recherches en Santé, Environnement et Travail (IRSET), UMR INSERM U1085, Faculté de Pharmacie, 2 Avenue du Pr Léon Bernard, 35043 Rennes, France.
authors: Gregory
authors: G
authors: Noel
authors: Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Stieger
authors: Institut de Recherches en Santé, Environnement et Travail (IRSET), UMR INSERM U1085, Faculté de Pharmacie, 2 Avenue du Pr Léon Bernard, 35043 Rennes, France; Pôle Biologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, 2 rue Henri Le Guilloux, 35033 Rennes, France. Electronic address: olivier.fardel@univ-rennes1.fr.
authors: Olivier
authors: O
authors: Fardel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D027361:Organic Anion Transporters / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D027361:Organic Anion Transporters
keywords: Canalicular secretion; Drug transporter; Hepatocytes; Polarization; Primary culture