title: Culturing of HepG2 cells with human serum improve their functionality and suitability in studies of lipid metabolism.
abstract: Primary human hepatocytes are considered to be the “gold standard” in studies of lipid metabolism despite a number of disadvantages like large inter-donor differences and inability to proliferate. Human hepatoma HepG2 cells retain many hepatocyte-specific functions but do also exhibit disadvantages like secretion of lipoproteins and bile acids that do not emulate human hepatocytes in vivo. The aim of this study was to investigate whether supplementation of the culturing media with human serum could improve the functionality of HepG2 cells and thereby make them more apposite in studies of lipid metabolism. The cells were cultured with human sera (2%) from three healthy individuals or with fetal bovine serum (10%). Lipoprotein, apolipoprotein, bile acid, albumin, and proprotein subtilisin/kexin type 9 (Pcsk9) concentrations in the cell media, as well as gene and protein expressions were then measured. We found apoB-containing LDL-sized but also apoA1-containing HDL-sized particles, increased bile acid and Pcsk9 concentrations in the cell media, as well as increased expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism and differentiation in HepG2 cells cultured with human sera. Thus, supplementation of the culturing media with human serum improves the functionality of HepG2 cells and makes them more apposite in studies of lipid metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Chemistry, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet at Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, S-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden; Molecular Nutrition Unit, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Centre for Nutrition and Toxicology, NOVUM, Karolinska Institutet, S-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden. Electronic address: camilla.pramfalk@ki.se.
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pramfalk
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Chemistry, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet at Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, S-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lilian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Chemistry, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet at Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, S-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Härdfeldt
authors.affiliation: Molecular Nutrition Unit, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Centre for Nutrition and Toxicology, NOVUM, Karolinska Institutet, S-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden; Metabolism Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet at Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, S-141 86, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Chemistry, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet at Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, S-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden; Molecular Nutrition Unit, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Centre for Nutrition and Toxicology, NOVUM, Karolinska Institutet, S-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden; Metabolism Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet at Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, S-141 86, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parini
mesh_terms: D003470:Culture Media; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000378:metabolism; D044967:Serum
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL
keywords: Bile acids; FBS; HepG2; Human serum; Lipoproteins