title: Models and methods for in vitro testing of hepatic gap junctional communication.
abstract: Inherent to their pivotal roles in controlling all aspects of the liver cell life cycle, hepatocellular gap junctions are frequently disrupted upon impairment of the homeostatic balance, as occurs during liver toxicity. Hepatic gap junctions, which are mainly built up by connexin32, are specifically targeted by tumor promoters and epigenetic carcinogens. This renders inhibition of gap junction functionality a suitable indicator for the in vitro detection of nongenotoxic hepatocarcinogenicity. The establishment of a reliable liver gap junction inhibition assay for routine in vitro testing purposes requires a cellular system in which gap junctions are expressed at an in vivo-like level as well as an appropriate technique to probe gap junction activity. Both these models and methods are discussed in the current paper, thereby focusing on connexin32-based gap junctions.
authors.affiliation: Department of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Michaël
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maes
authors.affiliation: Department of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sara Crespo
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Yanguas
authors.affiliation: Department of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Joost
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Willebrords
authors.affiliation: Department of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vinken
mesh_terms: D002450:Cell Communication; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000502:physiology*; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide
keywords: Connexin; Gap junction; In vitro model; Intercellular communication; Liver; Nongenotoxic carcinogen