Maintenance of adult rat hepatocytes on C3H/10T1/2 cells

A procedure is described for maintaining primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes on a layer of irradiated C3H/10T1/2 cells. These hepatocytes were capable of metabolizing the liver carcinogen N-2-acetylaminofluorene to water-soluble products and after 14 days in culture could still metabolize approximately 70% of the Day 1 level. Hepatocytes maintained on the C3H/10T1/2 cells were inducible for the liver-specific enzyme tyrosine aminotransferase, and exhibited approximately a 4-fold induction by hydrocortisone during a 10-day culture period. Morphologically, these hepatocytes retained many characteristics of hepatocytes in vivo. By contrast, hepatocytes maintained on plastic lost both N-2-acetylaminofluorene-metabolizing ability and tyrosine aminotransferase activity by Day 5. This was presumably due to degeneration of the hepatocytes and an overgrowth by fibroblasts. The maintenance of morphologically and biochemically functional hepatocytes in culture on feeder cells may provide a valuable approach for studying drug metabolism and liver cell transformation in vitro.