Biomaterial Database

Growth stimulation of primary rat hepatocytes by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. 1993

D Wölfle, and E Becker, and C Schmutte

Department of Toxicology, University of Hamburg Medical School, Federal Republic of Germany.

The modulation of liver growth control by the tumor promoter, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), was investigated in primary hepatocytes of adult rats. Under defined conditions in serum-free cultures, the interaction of TCDD with growth-related hormones was studied. TCDD-treatment of the cultured hepatocytes for two days caused a transient stimulation of both DNA synthesis and mitotic activity. This effect was maximal at the very low nontoxic concentration of 10(-12) M TCDD, i.e., two orders of magnitude below the optimal concentrations for induction of drug metabolizing enzymes. Growth stimulation by TCDD was dependent on the presence of growth-related hormones; in primary rat hepatocytes, TCDD acted synergistically with insulin and epidermal growth factor (EGF) and antagonized the growth inhibition by dexamethasone. Under culture conditions allowing high rates of DNA synthesis, e.g., at low concentrations of dexamethasone, in the presence of EGF plus alpha 1-adrenergic agonists or rat serum, no significant effect of TCDD on cellular growth was observed. Furthermore, TCDD failed to stimulate DNA synthesis in a rat hepatoma cell line, H4IIE, which is less sensitive to growth controlling factors than normal hepatocytes. Therefore, the results suggest that the growth modulation of primary rat hepatocytes by TCDD is the most sensitive parameter of the agent thus far observed. This effect may involve both a release from the growth inhibition caused, for instance, by glucocorticoids, as well as a direct growth-stimulating effect, synergistic to the one induced by insulin.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007328	Insulin	A 51-amino acid pancreatic hormone that plays a major role in the regulation of glucose metabolism, directly by suppressing endogenous glucose production (GLYCOGENOLYSIS; GLUCONEOGENESIS) and indirectly by suppressing GLUCAGON secretion and LIPOLYSIS. Native insulin is a globular protein comprised of a zinc-coordinated hexamer. Each insulin monomer containing two chains, A (21 residues) and B (30 residues), linked by two disulfide bonds. Insulin is used as a drug to control insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DIABETES MELLITUS, TYPE 1).	Iletin,Insulin A Chain,Insulin B Chain,Insulin, Regular,Novolin,Sodium Insulin,Soluble Insulin,Chain, Insulin B,Insulin, Sodium,Insulin, Soluble,Regular Insulin
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D008297	Male		Males
D010088	Oxidoreductases	The class of all enzymes catalyzing oxidoreduction reactions. The substrate that is oxidized is regarded as a hydrogen donor. The systematic name is based on donor:acceptor oxidoreductase. The recommended name will be dehydrogenase, wherever this is possible; as an alternative, reductase can be used. Oxidase is only used in cases where O2 is the acceptor. (Enzyme Nomenclature, 1992, p9)	Dehydrogenases,Oxidases,Oxidoreductase,Reductases,Dehydrogenase,Oxidase,Reductase
D011078	Polychlorinated Biphenyls	Industrial products consisting of a mixture of chlorinated biphenyl congeners and isomers. These compounds are highly lipophilic and tend to accumulate in fat stores of animals. Many of these compounds are considered toxic and potential environmental pollutants.	PCBs,Polychlorinated Biphenyl,Polychlorobiphenyl Compounds,Biphenyl, Polychlorinated,Biphenyls, Polychlorinated,Compounds, Polychlorobiphenyl
D002455	Cell Division	The fission of a CELL. It includes CYTOKINESIS, when the CYTOPLASM of a cell is divided, and CELL NUCLEUS DIVISION.	M Phase,Cell Division Phase,Cell Divisions,Division Phase, Cell,Division, Cell,Divisions, Cell,M Phases,Phase, Cell Division,Phase, M,Phases, M
D002478	Cells, Cultured	Cells propagated in vitro in special media conducive to their growth. Cultured cells are used to study developmental, morphologic, metabolic, physiologic, and genetic processes, among others.	Cultured Cells,Cell, Cultured,Cultured Cell
D003577	Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System	A superfamily of hundreds of closely related HEMEPROTEINS found throughout the phylogenetic spectrum, from animals, plants, fungi, to bacteria. They include numerous complex monooxygenases (MIXED FUNCTION OXYGENASES). In animals, these P-450 enzymes serve two major functions: (1) biosynthesis of steroids, fatty acids, and bile acids; (2) metabolism of endogenous and a wide variety of exogenous substrates, such as toxins and drugs (BIOTRANSFORMATION). They are classified, according to their sequence similarities rather than functions, into CYP gene families (>40% homology) and subfamilies (>59% homology). For example, enzymes from the CYP1, CYP2, and CYP3 gene families are responsible for most drug metabolism.	Cytochrome P-450,Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme,Cytochrome P-450-Dependent Monooxygenase,P-450 Enzyme,P450 Enzyme,CYP450 Family,CYP450 Superfamily,Cytochrome P-450 Enzymes,Cytochrome P-450 Families,Cytochrome P-450 Monooxygenase,Cytochrome P-450 Oxygenase,Cytochrome P-450 Superfamily,Cytochrome P450,Cytochrome P450 Superfamily,Cytochrome p450 Families,P-450 Enzymes,P450 Enzymes,Cytochrome P 450,Cytochrome P 450 Dependent Monooxygenase,Cytochrome P 450 Enzyme,Cytochrome P 450 Enzyme System,Cytochrome P 450 Enzymes,Cytochrome P 450 Families,Cytochrome P 450 Monooxygenase,Cytochrome P 450 Oxygenase,Cytochrome P 450 Superfamily,Enzyme, Cytochrome P-450,Enzyme, P-450,Enzyme, P450,Enzymes, Cytochrome P-450,Enzymes, P-450,Enzymes, P450,Monooxygenase, Cytochrome P-450,Monooxygenase, Cytochrome P-450-Dependent,P 450 Enzyme,P 450 Enzymes,P-450 Enzyme, Cytochrome,P-450 Enzymes, Cytochrome,Superfamily, CYP450,Superfamily, Cytochrome P-450,Superfamily, Cytochrome P450
D003907	Dexamethasone	An anti-inflammatory 9-fluoro-glucocorticoid.	Hexadecadrol,Decaject,Decaject-L.A.,Decameth,Decaspray,Dexasone,Dexpak,Hexadrol,Maxidex,Methylfluorprednisolone,Millicorten,Oradexon,Decaject L.A.
D004247	DNA	A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine).	DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA