Submitted to: American Society of Cell Biology Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: December 9, 1995
Publication Date: N/A
Technical Abstract:
A study was performed to further characterize the pig epiblast-derived liver stem cell-like PICM-19 cell line. PICM-19 cells displayed in vitro ultrastructure, enzymatic, and transport characteristics typical of hepatocytes and bile duct epithelium. The PICM-19 cells contained large oval nuclei, numerous mitochondria with flat cristae, extensive rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, Goloi complex, lipid vacuoles, and glycogen granules. Biliary canaliculi with intraluminal projecting microvilli were delimited by the junctional apparatuses between adjacent PICM-19 cells. The PICM-19 cells rapidly transported fluorescein into their biliary canaliculi from the extracellular environment. PICM-19 cells that had differentiated into multicellular ductal structures showed high gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) activity at their apical surfaces by histo- chemical staining. PICM-19 soluble GGT activity was high, and inducible P450 activity, measured by two independent assays, was nearly equivalent to primary cultures of adult pig hepatocytes. The data support the hypothesis that the PICM-19 cell line is an in vitro equivalent of liver stem cells.
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