EFFECT OF INSULIN ON ULTRASTRUCTURE AND GLYCOGENESIS IN PRIMARY CULTURES OF ADULT HEPATOCYTES RAT

Insulin in the presence of high concentrations of glucose has a beneficial trophic effect on the development of primary cultures of hepatocytes. Compared to the situation observed in hormone-free control cultures, the flattening of the reaggregated hepatocytes is enhanced, and the reconstituted cell trabeculae are enlarged and tend to form a confluent monolayer after 3 days; the survival time is prolonged from 3 to 5 or 6 days. Ultrastructural modifications are also initiated by insulin; numerous glycogen particles appear, after 24 h, in between the cisternae of the proliferated smooth endoplasmic reticulum. After 48 h, large amounts of glycogen are stored, and numerous polysomes are present. A small number of cells show an increased synthesis of lipid droplets in the lumen of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum and form liposomes at the same time. After 72 h, cytolysomes filled with glycogen develop, simulating glycogenosis type II. Simultaneously, microtubules and microfilaments, closely related to numerous polysomes, appear in cytoplasmic extensions constituting undulating membranes. The biochemical data demonstrate that, in the absence of insulin, a high concentration of glucose stimulates glycogenesis and hinders glycogenolysis. This effect of glucose on polysaccharide synthesis is progressively lost. The addition of insulin to the cultures induces, after 48 and 72 h, a threeto fivefold increase of the glucose incorporation into glycogen, as compared to the controls. The presence of insulin is required to maintain the hepatocyte's capacity to store glycogen. Glycogen synthetase is converted into its active form under the influence of glucose. Insulin increases the rate of activation. Primary cultures of hepatocytes isolated from adult rats were used to study the effect of insulin on various metabolic pathways in the liver. As stated by Krahl (48), the primordial function of insulin consists of promoting the formation and storage of macromolecules such as glycogen, lipids, and proteins. Particular efforts were devoted to the study of the effects of insulin on glycogenesis, but contradictory results on the rapid effect of the hormone were obtained during in vivo (6, 10, 22, 24) and in vitro investigations (35, 55, 64, 65). In isolated hepatocytes, the early stimulation of glycogen synthetase and of the synthesis of polysaccharide by insulin has not been demon878 THE JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY 9 VOLUME 7 4 , 1977 9 p a g e s 8 7 8 9 0 0 on N ovem er 7, 2017 jcb.rress. org D ow nladed fom strated except in a few cases (1, 82). According to Witters et al. (82), preservation of the sensitivity to insulin depends on the type of collagenase used and on the duration of its action in the course of preparation of the isolated hepatocytes. Parenchymal liver cells may also derive from the fetal organ or from partially hepatectomized animals (9, 13), or eventually from established cell lines. Each experimental system has its proper potentialities and limitations, e.g., regenerating liver cells have the property of growing in culture media devoid of serum (9), but are characterized by a different pattern of isoenzymes (11, 12), characteristic of the fetal state. Our experiments were conducted on cultures of parenchymal cells isolated from intact adult livers which present a limited lifetime but offer the great advantage of maintaining specific functions of the adult organ. The aim of the present work is to analyze the influence of high glucose concentrations and of insulin on the behavior of cultured hepatocytes and on glycogenesis. It will be shown that the presence of glucose at high concentrations in the culture . medium does not induce significant morphological changes, but the addition of insulin to the cultures favors the plating of the cells and modifies their ultrastructure. The biochemical data demonstrate that glucose at high concentration can, in the absence of insulin, stimulate glycogen synthesis, but that this effect is not maintained in the course of time. The addition of insulin restores the effect of glucose and promotes considerably glycogenesis, starting on the 2nd day of