Human hepatoblastoma cells (HepG2) and rat hepatoma cells are defective in important enzyme activities in the oxidation of the C27 steroid side chain in bile acid formation.

We have examined the ability of HepG2 human hepatoblastoma cells and 7800 C1 Morris rat hepatoma cells to convert 3 alpha, 7 alpha, 12 alpha-trihydroxy-5 beta-cholestanoic acid (THCA) and 3 alpha, 7 alpha-dihydroxy-5 beta-cholestanoic acid (DHCA) to cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid, respectively. Cell extracts from both these cell lines could neither form cholic acid from THCA nor from the activated form, THCA-CoA. This suggests that both cell lines are defective in two enzyme activities involved in the pathway, the microsomal THCA-CoA ligase and the peroxisomal THCA-CoA oxidase. Furthermore, we show that the subsequent enzymes are active in the conversion to bile acids, because the product of the THCA-CoA oxidase, 3 alpha, 7 alpha, 12 alpha-trihydroxy-5 beta-cholest-24-enoyl-coenzyme A (delta 24-THCA-CoA) or delta 24-THCA in the presence of THCA-CoA ligase, are converted to cholic acid by both cell lines. HepG2 cells were able to slowly form chenodeoxycholic acid and cholic acid from 5 beta-cholestane-3 alpha, 7 alpha-diol and 5 beta-cholestane-3 alpha, 7 alpha, 12 alpha-triol, respectively, in 24- and 96-h incubations. The rate of cholic acid formation was lower than the rate for chenodeoxycholic acid and there was a clear accumulation of THCA. 7800 C1 Morris cells had no ability to form cholic acid or chenodeoxycholic acid after 96 h incubation. We conclude that these two cell lines have defects in two enzyme activities involved in the peroxisomal oxidation in bile acid formation, the microsomal THCA-CoA ligase and the peroxisomal THCA-CoA oxidase.