METABOLIC STUDIES ON EEL (ANGUILLA-ANGUILLA L.) HEPATOCYTES IN PRIMARY CULTURE - EFFECT OF 17-BETA-ESTRADIOL AND GROWTH-HORMONE

Previous studies demonstrated that native and recombinant growth hormo ne from mammalian and fish species potentiate the estrogenic induction of vitellogenin synthesis by cultured eel hepatocytes. In the present study, the metabolic competence (respiratory activity and estradiol c atabolism) of cultured hepatocytes and their functional capacity to sy nthesize a specific protein, vitellogenin, in the presence of estradio l and/or bovine growth hormone was investigated. In addition, we exami ned the possible role of insulin-like growth factors as mediators of g rowth hormone. Hepatocytes retain a high level of metabolic activity u nder the primary culture conditions applied. Estradiol has a half life of several hours in the hepatocyte culture, and is metabolized into c onjugated forms. Estradiol and/or growth hormone had no effects on res piratory activity of the cultured hepatocytes. Moreover, the estradiol catabolic parameters were not affected by growth hormone. Finally, hu man and trout recombinant insulin-like growth factors do not potentiat e vitellogenin synthesis induced by estradiol. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scien ce Inc. All rights reserved.