Altered expression of cytochrome P-450 mRNAs, and potentially of other transcripts encoding key hepatic functions, are triggered during the isolation of rat hepatocytes.

The abundance of 12 cytochrome P-450 (CYP) mRNAs was quantified in the caudate lobe of rat livers before dissociation of the organ into single cells by perfusion with 0.025% (w/v) collagenase. Comparison of the initial abundance of CYP-1A1, -1A2, -2A subfamily, -2B1/2, -2C7, -2C11, -2D subfamily, -2E1, -3A1/2 and -4A1 transcripts in the caudate lobe of the intact liver with the values found in freshly isolated hepatocytes demonstrated that the relatively brief (1 h) cell isolation and washing procedures routinely caused 2-3-fold increases in the mRNAs encoding CYP-1A2, -2B1/2, -3A1/2, and -4A1, concomitant with a 50% decline in CYP2C11 mRNA. Further changes in the expression of CYP mRNAs occurred when the hepatocytes were cultured. Thus CYP1A1 mRNA, which is not constitutively expressed in rat liver, became detectable in hepatocytes cultured for 1 h, and after 6 h CYP3A1/2 mRNA levels began to increase. In contrast, levels of all other CYP mRNAs studied had declined after 24 h of culture concomitant with the loss of total cytochrome P-450 content. Culture of hepatocytes with 0.5 mM metyrapone (which prevents the loss of total P-450 content) increased CYP1A1 and CYP3A1/2 mRNA levels still further, such that after 72 h of culture these transcripts were conservatively 10-18-fold higher than in hepatocytes prior to culture. This suggests that these two isoenzymes comprise the bulk of the total cytochrome P-450 content maintained by metyrapone. Collectively, these results demonstrate that the technique commonly used to isolate rat hepatocytes alters hepatic gene expression, as illustrated by the elevation of the mRNAs encoding CYP-1A2, -2B1/2, -3A1/2 and -4A1, and that such perturbations are exacerbated during culture under standard conditions by the loss of the constitutive CYP2C11 and the precocious induction of CYP1A1 and CYP3A1/2 mRNAs.