introduction numerous studies have demonstrated the presence of potassium selective channels in membranes internal organelles. these channels are essential to a large variety of cellular processes including intracellular 2+ a signaling, protein recycling, charge neutralization and cell protection. in contrast to the sarcoplasmic reticulum + here potassium channels have been clearly identified, ...

Probenecid has been shown to delay the plasma clearance of methotrexate in the rat and to reduce both hepatic and renal excretion of methotrexate in this animal model. In order to probe the mechanism by which probenecid alters hepatic excretion of the antifolate, studies assessed the effects of probenecid on transport, accumulation, distribution, and release of methotrex ate in the rat hepatocy...

We investigated whether or not beta and alpha adrenergic agonists could affect proliferation of adult rat hepatocytes induced by hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) during the early and late phases of primary culture. Adult rat hepatocytes underwent significant DNA synthesis after culture with 5 ng/ml HGF for 3 h at a low cell density (3.3 x 10(4) cells/cm2). Under these culture conditions, the numb...

Increasing evidence shows that reactive oxygen species (ROS) may be critical mediators of liver damage during the relative hypoxia of ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) associated with transplant surgery or of the tissue microenvironment created as a result of chronic hepatic inflammation or infection. Much work has been focused on Kupffer cells or liver resident macrophages with respect to the ...

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the capacity to differentiate into hepatocytes, The purpose of this study is to investigate the MSCs' differentiation process and therapeutic potentials by comparing isolated MSCs with HGF-treated MSCs in rat's model with thiacetamide (TAA)-induced cirrhosis. METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, weighing 100-150 g were used in this study. ...

OBJECTIVE Transplantation of isolated hepatocytes in animal models has been shown to correct inborn errors of metabolism. Based on these studies and our experience with hepatocyte transplantation in a child with Crigler-Najjar syndrome, isolated hepatocyte transplantation was performed to attempt metabolic reconstitution in a male infant with severe ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency. ...

Isolated rat hepatocyte couplets were used to perform the comparative study of two widely used immunosuppressors, cyclosporin A (CsA) and tacrolimus (FK506) on hepatocanalicular function. We assessed canalicular function by counting the percentage of couplets that were able to accumulate the fluorescent cholephile, cholyl-lysyl-fluorescein (CLF), into the canalicular vacuole between the two cel...

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a novel potential therapy for improving bone health in patients with type II diabetes and hypertension, but its effect on the molecular structure not revealed yet. Here, X-ray absorption near edge (XANES) spectroscopy was used to explore effects elicited by HGF chemical structure. This study assessed local calcium (Ca) phosphorus (P) coordination of diabetic hy...

While hemochromatosis is characterized by sequestration of iron-protein complexes in hepatocyte lysosomes, little is known about the effects of excess iron on these organelles. Therefore, we studied the effects of experimental iron overload on hepatocyte lysosomal structure, physicochemical properties, and function in rats fed carbonyl iron. A sixfold increase (P less than 0.0001) in hepatic ir...

INTRODUCTION The successful use of hepatocytes depends on a reliable demonstration of the functional and morphological integrity of isolated cells. Herein we investigated whether the isolation and cryopreservation of primary human hepatocytes can compromise cell viability and liver-specific characteristics. MATERIAL/METHODS Hepatocytes were isolated from encapsulated human liver segments by a...