A practice-changing culture method relying on shaking substantially increases mitochondrial energy metabolism and functionality of human liver cell lines

PLoS One. 2018 Apr 19;13(4):e0193664. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193664. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Practice-changing culturing techniques of hepatocytes are highly required to increase their differentiation. Previously, we found that human liver cell lines HepaRG and C3A acquire higher functionality and increased mitochondrial biogenesis when cultured in the AMC-Bioartificial liver (BAL). Dynamic medium flow (DMF) is one of the major contributors to this stimulatory effect. Recently, we found that DMF-culturing by shaking of HepaRG monolayers resulted in higher mitochondrial biogenesis. Here we further investigated the effect of DMF-culturing on energy metabolism and hepatic functionality of HepaRG and C3A monolayers. HepaRG and C3A DMF-monolayers were incubated with orbital shaking at 60 rpm during the differentiation phase, while control monolayers were maintained statically. Subsequently, energy metabolism and hepatic functionality were compared between static and DMF-cultures. DMF-culturing of HepaRG cells substantially increased hepatic differentiation; transcript levels of hepatic structural genes and hepatic transcription regulators were increased up to 15-fold (Cytochrome P450 3A4) and nuclear translocation of hepatic transcription factor CEBPα was stimulated. Accordingly, hepatic functions were positively affected, including ammonia elimination, urea production, bile acid production, and CYP3A4 activity. DMF-culturing shifted energy metabolism from aerobic glycolysis towards oxidative phosphorylation, as indicated by a decline in lactate production and glucose consumption, and an increase in oxygen consumption. Similarly, DMF-culturing increased mitochondrial energy metabolism and hepatic functionality of C3A cells. In conclusion, simple shaking of monolayer cultures substantially improves mitochondrial energy metabolism and hepatic differentiation of human liver cell lines. This practice-changing culture method may prove to prolong the in-vitro maintenance of primary hepatocytes and increase hepatic differentiation of stem cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Culture Techniques / methods*
  • Cell Line
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A / metabolism
  • Energy Metabolism / physiology*
  • Hepatocytes / cytology
  • Hepatocytes / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Mitochondria, Liver / metabolism*

Substances

  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A
  • CYP3A4 protein, human

Grants and funding

The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2013 under grant agreement n304914 to RAFMC, and from the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, More Knowledge with Fewer Animals, grant 114021009 to RH. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.