Phenobarbital induction of α1-acid glycoprotein in primary rat hepatocyte cultures

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The serum level of rat α1-acid glycoprotein is significantly increased by treatment with phenobarbital, and in vivo studies have shown that phenobarbital seems to act mainly at the transcriptional level. To show the direct mediating effect of phenobarbital on α1-acid glycoprotein gene expression, we investigated the ability of primary cultured rat hepatocytes to respond to in vitro phenobarbital administration. Phenobarbital increased both α1-acid glycoprotein secretion and corresponding mRNA levels in primary rat hepatocytes cultured on matrigel. Used in combination with interleukin-1, interleukin-6 and dexamethasone, phenobarbital had an additive or synergistic effect on α1-acid glycoprotein synthesis. These results show that (a) phenobarbital acts directly on hepatocytes by in creasing α1-acid glycoprotein gene expression and (b) this effect is mediated by a specific mechanism independent of pathways involved in α1-acid glycoprotein induction by interleukin-1, interleukin-6 and glucocorticoids. (Hepatology 1994;20:1584-1588).

This publication has 36 references indexed in Scilit: