ESSENTIAL ROLE OF CELL-CELL INTERACTION IN PRIMARY HEPATOCYTE CULTURES

摘要

Hepatocytes exhibit different morphology depending on the surface condition of a cultural substratum. The growth response to mitogen and the expression of liver functions were also dependent on the cell morphology regulated by cell-cell interaction. In the present study, we examined the effects of treatment with EGTA as an inhibitor of cell-cell attachment mediated by E-cadherin, on RhoA expression, growth response and albumin secretion in the different cultural forms of hepatocytes. By EGTA treatment, spheroid formation of hepatocytes inhibited. In hepatocyte cultures, RhoA expression was promoted as cell-cell interaction formed, but it was suppressed during EGTA treatment. Albumin secretion was also suppressed during EGTA treatment. Growth response to HGF addition was enhanced by the short-term treatment of EGTA. These results suggested that cell-cell interaction mediated by E-cadherin had crucial roles in the regulation of hepatocyte growth and expression of liver functions.