Cytotoxicity of xenobiotics and expression of glutathione-S-transferases in immortalised rat hepatocyte cell lines

Abstract

1 Immortalised rat hepatocyte cell lines are more sensitive to the cytotoxicity of 1-chloro-2,4-dinitroben-zene and ethacrynic acid than primary cultures of hepatocytes. 2 Class alpha glutathione S-transferases are not expressed in immortalised hepatocyte cell lines. Class pi glutathione S-transferase expression is elevated in the immortalised cell lines compared with freshly isolated hepatocytes, but it is not as high as in the HTC rat hepatoma cell line. 3 Immortalised hepatocyte cell lines may provide a sensitive model system for detecting cytotoxicity associated with xenobiotics which are detoxified by glutathione S-transferases.