Korean J Physiol Pharmacol.  1999 Dec;3(6):565-570.

Glycochenodeoxycholic acid induces cell death in primary cultured rat hepatocyte: Apoptosis and necrosis

• Chu SH
• Park WM
• Lee KE
• Pae YS

Abstract

Intracellular accumulation of bile acids in the hepatocytes during cholestasis is thought to be pathogenic in cholestatic liver injury. Due to the detergent-like effect of the hydrophobic bile acids, hepatocellular injury has been attributed to direct membrane damage. However histological findings of cholestatic liver diseases suggest apoptosis can be a mechanism of cell death during cholestatic liver diseases instead of necrosis. To determine the pattern of hepatocellular toxicity induced by bile acid, we incubated primary cultured rat hepatocytes with a hydrophobic bile acid, Glycochenodeoxycholate (GCDC), up to 5 hours. After 5 hours incubation with 400 muM GCDC, lactate dehydrogenase released significantly. Cell viability, quantitated in propidium iodide stained cells concomitant with fluoresceindiacetate was decreased time-and dose-dependently. Most nuclei with condensed chromatin and shrunk cytoplasm were heavily labelled time- and dose-dependently by a positive TUNEL reaction. These findings suggest that both apoptosis and necrosis are involved in hepatocytes injury caused by GCDC.

Keyword

Hepatocyte; GCDC; Apoptosis; Necrosis

MeSH Terms

Animals
Apoptosis*
Bile
Bile Acids and Salts
Cell Death*
Cell Survival
Cholestasis
Chromatin
Cytoplasm
Glycochenodeoxycholic Acid*
Hepatocytes*
In Situ Nick-End Labeling
L-Lactate Dehydrogenase
Liver
Liver Diseases
Membranes
Necrosis*
Propidium
Rats*
Bile Acids and Salts
Chromatin
Glycochenodeoxycholic Acid
L-Lactate Dehydrogenase
Propidium