Regulation of hepatocyte-specific gene expression in cultures of human embryonic hepatocytes.

The aim of this study was to see whether the rat embryo can serve as a model system for hepatocyte-specific gene expression in the human embryo. Carbamoylphosphate synthetase was used as a hepatocyte-specific marker molecule. Despite the earlier developmental appearance of this enzyme in human than in murine liver, the hormonal regulation of gene expression in cultures of embryonic hepatocytes was found to be the same. Therefore, a relatively early developmental appearance of regulatory hormones rather than differences in regulatory mechanisms of gene expression appears to be responsible for the early accumulation of the enzyme in human liver, when compared to murine liver.