An expandable donor-free supply of functional hepatocytes for toxicology. Issue 2 (9th March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Probert, Philip M. E.; Meyer, Stephanie K.; Alsaeedi, Fouzeyyah; Axon, Andrew A.; Fairhall, Emma A.; Wallace, Karen; Charles, Michelle; Oakley, Fiona; Jowsey, Paul A.; Blain, Peter G.; Wright, Matthew C.
• Is Part Of: Toxicology research. Volume 4:Issue 2(2015:Mar.)
• Page Start: 203
• Page End: 222
• Publication Date: 2015-03-09
• Subjects: Toxicology -- Periodicals; 615.9005
• DOI: 10.1039/c4tx00214h
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-452X

Abstract

Graphical Abstract: Abstract: The B-13 cell is a readily expandable rat pancreatic acinar-like cell that differentiates on simple plastic culture substrata into replicatively-senescent hepatocyte-like (B-13/H) cells in response to glucocorticoid exposure. B-13/H cells express a variety of liver-enriched and liver-specific genes, many at levels similar to hepatocytes in vivo . Furthermore, the B-13/H phenotype is maintained for at least several weeks in vitro, in contrast to normal hepatocytes which rapidly de-differentiate under the same simple – or even under more complex – culture conditions. The origin of the B-13 cell line and the current state of knowledge regarding differentiation to B-13/H cells are presented, followed by a review of recent advances in the use of B-13/H cells in a variety of toxicity endpoints. B-13 cells therefore offer Toxicologists a cost-effective and easy to use system to study a range of toxicologically-related questions. Dissecting the mechanism(s) regulating the formation of B-13/H cell may also increase the likelihood of engineering a human equivalent, providing Toxicologists with an expandable donor-free supply of functional rat and human hepatocytes, invaluable additions to the tool kit of in vitro toxicity tests.