Developmental regulation of the concentrative nucleoside transporters CNT1 and CNT2 in rat liver.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The pattern of nucleoside transporter expression in hepatocytes was studied in the developing rat liver.

METHODS

Hepatocytes isolated from fetuses, neonates and adult rats were used for uridine uptake measurements and concentrative nucleoside transporter (CNT) expression.

RESULTS

Adult hepatocytes showed the highest Na-dependent uridine uptake, but fetal hepatocytes exhibited a significant NBTI-sensitive component of equilibrative Na+-independent transport, which was either negligible or absent in neonatal and adult rat hepatocytes. Low Na+-dependent uridine uptake was associated with low amounts of CNT1 and CNT2 transporter proteins, both with apparent Km values in the low micromolar range. Hepatocyte primary cultures from 20-day-old fetuses showed very low amounts of CNT2 mRNA, and expressed both carrier proteins. Incubation of fetal hepatocytes with dexamethasone and T3 resulted in a significant increase in Na+-dependent uridine uptake and an accumulation of the CNT2 protein and mRNA.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of concentrative nucleoside carriers in hepatocytes from developing rat liver is developmentally regulated. Addition of endocrine factors known to induce differentiation of fetal hepatocytes results in selective up-regulation of CNT2 expression.