title: Lipogenesis in Huh7 cells is promoted by increasing the fructose: Glucose molar ratio.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether hepatocyte lipogenesis, in an in vitro cell culture model, is modulated by adjusting culture media monosaccharide content and concentration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hepatocytes (Huh7), demonstrating glucose and fructose uptake and lipid biosynthesis, were incubated in culture media containing either glucose alone (0.65-0.72 mmol/L) or isosmolar monosaccharide (0.72 mmol/L) comprising fructose:glucose (F:G) molar ratios ranging from 0.58-0.67. Following a 24-h incubation, cells were harvested and analyzed for total protein, triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol (C) content. Significant differences (P < 0.05) among groups were determined using analysis of variance followed by Dunnett's test for multiple comparisons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After a 24 h incubation period, Huh7 cell mass and viability among all experimental groups were not different. Hepatocytes cultured with increasing concentrations of glucose alone did not demonstrate a significant change either in C or in TG content. However, when the culture media contained increasing F:G molar ratios, at a constant total monosaccharide concentration, synthesis both of C and of TG increased significantly [F:G ratio = 0.58, C/protein (μg/μg) = 0.13; F:G = 0.67, C/protein = 0.18, P < 0.01; F:G ratio = 0.58, TG/protein (μg/μg) = 0.06; F:G ratio = 0.67, TG/protein = 0.11, P < 0.01].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In an in vitro hepatocyte model, glucose or fructose plus glucose support total cell mass and lipogenic activity. Increasing the fructose:glucose molar ratio (but not glucose alone) enhances triglyceride and cholesterol synthesis. These investigations demonstrate fructose promotes hepatocellular lipogenesis, and they provide evidence supporting future, in vivo studies of fructose's role in the development of hepatic steatosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Fernando Windemuller, Jiliu Xu, Simon S Rabinowitz, Steven M Schwarz, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203, United States.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Windemuller
authors.affiliation: Fernando Windemuller, Jiliu Xu, Simon S Rabinowitz, Steven M Schwarz, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203, United States.
authors.forename: Jiliu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Fernando Windemuller, Jiliu Xu, Simon S Rabinowitz, Steven M Schwarz, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203, United States.
authors.forename: Simon S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Rabinowitz
authors.affiliation: Fernando Windemuller, Jiliu Xu, Simon S Rabinowitz, Steven M Schwarz, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203, United States.
authors.forename: M Mahmood
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.affiliation: Fernando Windemuller, Jiliu Xu, Simon S Rabinowitz, Steven M Schwarz, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203, United States.
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Schwarz
keywords: Cholesterol; Fructose; Glucose; Hepatocytes; Triglycerides