Effect of dexamethasone on the isozyme pattern of adult rat liver parenchymal cells in primary cultures.

The influence of dexamethasone on the isozyme patterns of ATP-hexose phosphotransferases, aldolase and pyruvate kinase of adult rat hepatocytes maintained in primary cultures has been studied. A progressive loss of the typical adult liver isozymes glucokinase, pyruvate kinase L and aldolase B, with a simultaneous increase of both pyruvate kinase A and hexokinase activities, was observed in hepatocytes cultured in the absence of added glucocorticoid. When the culture medium was supplemented with 10(-7)M dexamethasone, the adult liver patterns of pyruvate kinase and aldolase were preserved for at least seven days of culture, the initial level of glucokinase was maintained for three days, and the rise of hexokinase activity was delayed and partially blocked. These results are discussed in relation to the known beneficial effect of glucocorticoids on the survival of cultured hepatocytes.