Synthesis of hemopexin with and without hormonal supplementation in rat hepatocyte suspensions: comparison with that of albumin and of fibrinogen

Abstract

The rate of hemopexin synthesis in adult rat hepatocyte suspensions (0.17 ± 0.019 (6)) (mean ± SEM (n)) mg/g hepatocytes per hour) was found to be linear for 48 h. By contrast, the rate of synthesis of albumin and fibrinogen was close to linear for only 12 h after which it continued at a diminished rate. Supplementation of the incubation medium with insulin, cortisol, glucagon, triiodothyronine, and growth hormone effected no significant increase in the synthesis rate of hemopexin but by contrast did do so in that of albumin (22%) and of fibrinogen (123%) (although not to the point of causing these last to become linear). The pattern of hemopexin synthesis and its response to hormones is clearly different from that observed with other plasma proteins studied in this hepatocyte system. Hemopexin synthesis appeared to be at its maximum and to be independent of hormone supplementation, and it was continuing linearly at a time when the synthesis of other plasma proteins was falling.