cDNA Microarray Analysis in Hepatocyte Differentiation in Huh 7 Cells

• Published in: Cell transplantation 2004-01, Vol.13 (7-8), p.793-800
• Main Authors: Yamashita, Yo-Ichi, Shimada, Mitsuo, Harimoto, Norifumi, Tanaka, Shinji, Shirabe, Ken, Ijima, Hiroyuki, Nakazawa, Kohji, Fukuda, Junji, Funatsu, Kazumori, Maehara, Yoshihiko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cell Culture Techniques - methods; Cell Culture Techniques - trends; Cell Differentiation - genetics; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; DNA, Complementary - analysis; DNA, Complementary - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; Down-Regulation - genetics; Early Growth Response Protein 1; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; Gene Expression Profiling - methods; Gene Expression Regulation - genetics; Hepatocytes - cytology; Hepatocytes - physiology; Humans; Hydroxamic Acids - pharmacology; Immediate-Early Proteins - genetics; Liver, Artificial - trends; Octamer Transcription Factor-3; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Spheroids, Cellular - cytology; Spheroids, Cellular - physiology; Transcription Factors - genetics; Up-Regulation - genetics
• ISSN: 0963-6897; 1555-3892
• DOI: 10.3727/000000004783983396

The risk of xenozoonosis infections poses the greatest obstacle against the clinical application of a hybrid artificial liver support system (HALSS). Primary human hepatocytes are an ideal source for HALSS, but the shortage of human livers available for hepatocyte isolation limits this modality. To resolve this issue, we previously demonstrated the upregulation of hepatocyte-specific function by spheroid formation in polyurethane foam and by culturing with the histone deacetylase inhibitor, trichostatin A (TSA), in a human hepatoma cell line (Huh 7). In this article we analyze the gene expression profile using cDNA microarray (1281 genes) in spheroid formation or culturing with TSA in Huh 7 to determine the target genes in hepatocyte differentiation. In both the spheroid formation and in the culture with TSA, the Oct-3/4 transcription factor was upregulated more than twofold, while the early growth response-1 (EGR-1) transactivator was downregulated less than 0.5-fold. These results indicate that expressions of Oct-3/4 and EGR-1 may be key factors in the induction of hepatocyte differentiation in Huh 7.