Effect of glucocorticoids, insulin and a growth promoting tripeptide on the biosynthesis of plasma proteins in serum-free hepatocyte cultures.

The effect of cortisol, dexamethasone, insulin and a liver cell growth promoting tripeptide on the secretion of plasma proteins into the medium of rat hepatocytes in monolayer cultures was studied. Cortisol and dexamethasone resulted in equal to or approximately 2.5-fold increase in the fibrinogen synthesis with general suppression of albumin and alpha-lipoprotein synthesis. On the other hand, insulin inhibited the biosynthesis of most plasma proteins except for the complement system and transferrin. Concentrations of alpha-lipoprotein, alpha-1-macroglobulin and haptoglobin were moderately elevated when the tripeptide Gly-His-Lys was applied in low concentration.