Use of Primary Rat Hepatocytes for Prediction of Drug-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a central role in drug-induced liver injury. To evaluate drug-induced mitochondrial impairment, several isolated mitochondria- or cell line-based assays have been reported. Among them, culturing HepG2 cells in galactose provides a remarkable method to assess mitochondrial toxicity by activating mitochondrial aerobic respiration. We applied this assay to primary rat hepatocytes by culturing cells in galactose and hyperoxia to enhance the evaluation of metabolism-related drug-induced mitochondrial toxicity. Conventional culture of primary hepatocytes under high-glucose and hypoxic conditions could force cells to switch energy generation to glycolysis. By contrast, cells cultured in galactose and hyperoxia could maintain energy generation from mitochondrial aerobic respiration, which is consistent with physiological conditions, and consequently improve the susceptibility of cells to mitochondrial toxicants. Measuring the toxicities of test compounds in primary rat hepatocytes cultured in modified conditions provides a useful model to identify mitochondrial dysfunction-mediated drug-induced hepatotoxicity. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.