Biochemical studies on bile duct epithelial cells isolated from rat liver

In the present paper we provide a basic enzymatic characterization of biliary epithelial cells (BEC) that have been isolated from normal rat liver. When compared with liver parenchymal cells, BEC display the following major features: (a) a very high specific activity of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (approx. 200-times higher than the value usually found in hepatocytes); (b) a lack of enzymes that are usually associated with the endoplasmic reticulum in hepatocytes such as cytochrome P-450, aminopyrine demethylase, glucose 6-phosphatase and NADPH cytochrome-c reductase; (c) the presence of enzymes related to the glutathione redox cycle (e.g., GSH-peroxidase, GSSG-reductase and different isozymes of GSH-transferase), but accompanied by a very low content in reduced glutathione. The enzyme pattern of BEC correlates well with histochemical and immunohistochemical studies, as well as with biochemical studies on bile ductular cells isolated from rat liver during cholestasis.