Control of angiotensinogen production by H4 rat hepatoma cells in serum-free culture.

A serum-free, hormone and attachment factor supplemented culture for rat H4 hepatoma cells was established. In the defined medium (Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's + Ham's F12 + insulin, transferrin, fibronectin liver cell growth factor, and sodium selenite), H4 cells grew equally well as in 10% fetal bovine serum supplemented medium. H4 cells in either defined or serum-containing culture conditions produce transferrin but not albumin or alpha-fetoprotein. In this paper we have studied the effect of various hormones and pressor peptides on the production of angiotensinogen by H4 cells cultured in defined conditions. Only glucocorticoid hormone had a significant effect on the production of angiotensinogen, whereas other hormones previously reported to exert their effect on angiotensinogen production had little or no effect.