Ethanol induces the expression of alpha 1(I) procollagen mRNA in a co-culture system containing a liver stellate cell-line and freshly isolated hepatocytes.

To study the fibrogenic action of ethanol in vitro we used a co-culture system of freshly isolated hepatocytes and a liver stellate cell line (CFSC-2G) developed in our laboratory. Our results show that in this co-culture system ethanol induces the expression of alpha 1(I) procollagen mRNA in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This effect of ethanol was due to its metabolism by alcohol dehydrogenase since 4-methylpyrazole prevented the ethanol-mediated increase in alpha 1(I) procollagen mRNA. Ethanol was more efficient than acetaldehyde in inducing alpha 1(I) procollagen mRNA expression and its effect was protein synthesis-independent. Transfection of either hepatocytes or liver stellate cells with a reporter gene, chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT), driven by 3700 bp of the mouse alpha 1(I) procollagen promoter demonstrated that only LSC expressed significant CAT activity and that this activity was enhanced by ethanol. Overall, our results suggest that this co-culture system is a useful model to study alcohol-induced fibrogenesis in vitro and that mechanisms other than acetaldehyde formation may also play an important role in alcohol-induced fibrogenesis.

Expression of a 2.8-kb PDGF-B/c-sis transcript and synthesis of PDGF-like protein by human lung fibroblasts.

The replication of fibroblasts is thought to be controlled by exogenous growth factors mainly secreted by macrophages and epithelial cells. However, under standard culture conditions, lung fibroblasts are able to produce several growth factors, suggesting an autocrine pathway of proliferation. In this work, we examined the expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-A) and PDGF-B-messenger RNA (mRNAs) by fibroblasts derived from four human adult normal lungs and from two fibrotic lungs. Northern blot analysis showed that both normal and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)-derived fibroblasts expressed a 2.8 PDGF-B/c-sis mRNA. This transcript was also observed as a minor form in human osteosarcoma cell line, used as control, which predominantly expressed a 4.0-kb PDGF-B mRNA. In two fibroblast cell lines, one fibrotic and one normal, the 4.0-kb transcript was also observed but was always weaker than the 2.8-kb mRNA. PDGF-A mRNA was not detected. By immunofluorescence, lung fibroblasts exhibited intracytoplasmic PDGF-like protein. Likewise, conditioned media from normal and IPF lung fibroblasts stimulated 3H-thymidine incorporation in BALB/c-3T3 cells that was significantly inhibited by anti-PDGF antibody. These results show that in vitro, some human lung fibroblasts express PDGF-B/c-sis mRNA, mainly an alternate 2.8-kb transcript, and produce PDGF-like protein.

Characterization and functional studies on rat liver fat-storing cell line and freshly isolated hepatocyte coculture system.

We developed and characterized a coculture system composed of a fat-storing cell clone (CFSC-2G) and freshly isolated hepatocytes that can reproduce in vitro some of the physical and functional relationships observed in vivo. Hepatocytes in the coculture are polarized, are smaller in size than hepatocytes plated on plastic, maintain a cuboidal shape, and have a tendency to form cords. Fat-storing cells, which are initially extended, retract and leave spaces that resemble liver sinusoids. Both cell types in the coculture system are functional for at least two weeks as determined by the expression of high levels of liver-specific protein mRNAs as well as by the production and secretion of liver-specific proteins into the culture medium. The hepatocytes maintain relatively high levels of asialoglycoprotein receptor on their cell surface and form functional gap junctional complexes with fat-storing cells. Hence, this coculture system retains a number of differentiated functions of hepatocytes, making it a useful model to study cell-cell interactions in culture and to analyze regulation of hepatocyte functions.