Expression and induction of a large set of drug-metabolizing enzymes by the highly differentiated human hepatoma cell line BC2.

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Gomez-Lechon MJ, Donato T, Jover R, Rodriguez C, Ponsoda X, Glaise D, Castell JV, Guguen-Guillouzo C

Expression and induction of a large set of drug-metabolizing enzymes by the highly differentiated human hepatoma cell line BC2.

Eur J Biochem. 2001 Mar;268(5):1448-59.

PubMed ID

11231298 [ View in PubMed

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Abstract

The BC2 cell line derived from the human hepatocarcinoma, HGB, undergoes a spontaneous sharp differentiation process in culture as it becomes confluent, remains stably differentiated for several weeks, and may return to proliferation thereafter under appropriate density conditions. The relevance of the line as an hepatic model has been evaluated. Cells synthesize a large number of plasma proteins, and rates of glycogen and urea synthesis increase with time of confluency and become sensitive to insulin, reflecting the process of differentiation. Differentiated BC2 cells express the most relevant cytochrome P-450 (CYP) isozyme activities (CYP1A1/2, 2A6, 2B6, 2C9, 2E1, and 3A4) and conjugating enzymes (glutathione S-transferase and UDP-glucuronyltransferase) and also respond to model inducers. Methylcholanthrene induced an increase in CYP1A1/2 enzyme activity (eightfold), phenobarbital induced CYP2B6 activity (1.7-fold), and dexamethasone induced CYP3A4 activity (fivefold). In parallel, expression of the most relevant liver-enriched transcription factors, HNF-4, HNF-1, C/EBP-alpha and C/EBP-beta mRNAs, was significantly increased in differentiated cultures. This increase was largest in HNF-1 and HNF-4, which supports the idea that a redifferentiation process towards the hepatic phenotype takes place. BC2 is an hepatic cell line that is able to express most hepatic functions, especially the drug-biotransformation function, far more efficiently than any previously described human hepatoma cell line.

DrugBank Data that Cites this Article

Drug Enzymes

Drug	Enzyme	Kind	Organism	Pharmacological Action	Actions
Dexamethasone	Cytochrome P450 3A4	Protein	Humans	Unknown	Substrate Inhibitor Inducer	Details
Dexamethasone acetate	Cytochrome P450 3A4	Protein	Humans	Unknown	Substrate Inhibitor Inducer	Details