Cited by 1,280Drug-Induced Hepatotoxicity and ProtectionLiver physiology and pathologyAnimal testing and alternatives

Recent advances in 2D and 3D in vitro systems using primary hepatocytes, alternative hepatocyte sources and non-parenchymal liver cells and their use in investigating mechanisms of hepatotoxicity, cell signaling and ADME

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Godoy, Patricio, Hewitt, Nicola J., Albrecht, Ute, Andersen, Melvin E., Ansari, Nariman, Bhattacharya, Sudin, Bode, Johannes Georg, Bolleyn, Jennifer +85 more·2013·Archives of Toxicology

Abstract

This review encompasses the most important advances in liver functions and hepatotoxicity and analyzes which mechanisms can be studied in vitro. In a complex architecture of nested, zonated lobules, the liver consists of approximately 80 % hepatocytes and 20 % non-parenchymal cells, the latter being involved in a secondary phase that may dramatically aggravate the initial damage. Hepatotoxicity, as well as hepatic metabolism, is controlled by a set of nuclear receptors (including PXR, CAR, HNF-4α, FXR, LXR, SHP, VDR and PPAR) and signaling pathways. When isolating liver cells, some pathways are activated, e.g., the RAS/MEK/ERK pathway, whereas others are silenced (e.g. HNF-4α), resulting in up- and downregulation of hundreds of genes. An understanding of these changes is crucial for a correct interpretation of in vitro data. The possibilities and limitations of the most useful liver in vitro systems are summarized, including three-dimensional culture techniques, co-cultures with non-parenchymal cells, hepatospheres, precision cut liver slices and the isolated perfused liver. Also discussed is how closely hepatoma, stem cell and iPS cell-derived hepatocyte-like-cells resemble real hepatocytes. Finally, a summary is given of the state of the art of liver in vitro and mathematical modeling systems that are currently used in the pharmaceutical industry with an emphasis on drug metabolism, prediction of clearance, drug interaction, transporter studies and hepatotoxicity. One key message is that despite our enthusiasm for in vitro systems, we must never lose sight of the in vivo situation. Although hepatocytes have been isolated for decades, the hunt for relevant alternative systems has only just begun.

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Crossref · 10.1007/s00204-013-1078-5

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  • In the first few days of PHH cultivation, hepatic functions such as plasma protein production, drug metabolizing enzyme activities, glucose metabolism and urea synthesis are reduced.

    “Already in the first few days of cultivation, a reduction of hepatic functions can be observed, e.g. production of plasma proteins, drug metabolizing enzyme activities, glucose metabolism and urea synthesis (Godoy et al., 2013[15]).”

    From Optimization of extracellular matrix for primary human hepatocyte cultures using mixed collagen-matrigel matrices (2023) · cites this paper as Godoy et al., 2013[15]

    The 3D liver models section (page unavailable) says hepatocyte dedifferentiation in 2D culture reduces plasma-protein production and detoxification associated with phase I and II enzymes. But the Isolated human hepatocytes section says enzyme activities, glucose metabolism and ammonia detoxification can remain functional for at least 48–72 hours; it does not establish that glucose metabolism or urea synthesis decline in the first few days. The citing sentence therefore overstates which functions the review identifies as declining at that time. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  • Primary human hepatocytes are an important tool for studying human liver disease and drug-induced liver injury, and other models such as rat hepatocytes, hepatic cell lines and stem cell-derived hepatocyte-like cells fail to offer metabolically competent and species-relevant alternatives.

    “Primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) are an important tool for studying human liver disease and drug-induced liver injury (DILI), with other models, such as rat hepatocytes, hepatic cell lines and stem cell-derived hepatocyte-like cells failing to offer metabolically competent and species-relevant alternatives (Godoy et al. 2013).”

    From Mechanistic evaluation of primary human hepatocyte culture using global proteomic analysis reveals a selective dedifferentiation profile (2017) · cites this paper as Godoy et al. 2013

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  • Zonation appears to be a large influencing factor on variation during culture, as pathway analysis of the most variable proteins revealed significant association with ketogenesis, cholesterol biosynthesis, fatty acid beta oxidation and glutamine synthesis, all related to the portocentral axis gradient of the lobule.

    “In fact, zonation appears to be a large influencing factor on variation during culture as our pathway analysis of the most variable proteins revealed significant association with ketogenesis, cholesterol biosynthesis, fatty acid β oxidation and glutamine synthesis (table S4), all of these are related to the portocentral axis gradient of the lobule (Godoy et al. 2013).”

    From Mechanistic evaluation of primary human hepatocyte culture using global proteomic analysis reveals a selective dedifferentiation profile (2017) · cites this paper as Godoy et al. 2013

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  • Although cytotoxicity measures are fundamental in assessing a drug's potential for hepatotoxicity in vitro, gene expression and various phenotypic changes can occur at much lower concentrations.

    “although cytotoxicity measures are fundamental in the assessment of a drug’s potential for hepatotoxicity in vitro33,34, gene expression and various phenotypic changes can occur at much lower concentrations35,36.”
  • The apical membrane is equipped with transport proteins such as MRP2 that eliminate bile acids and xenobiotics from the cell.

    “The apical membrane is equipped with transport proteins that eliminate bile acids and xenobiotics from the cell, like multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) (Godoy et al., 2013[15]; Ito et al., 2005[20]).”

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2 of the 1862 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. Bezerra JA Balistreri WF The unique nature of the pediatric liver Clin Liver Dis 2000 4 xi xv 11232364
  2. Bücher T, Sies H (1976) Mitochondrial and cytosolic redox states in perfused rat liver: methods and problems in metabolic compartmentation. In: Tager jm WJ, Söling D (eds) Use of isolated liver cells and kidney tubules in metabolic studies. North Holland Publishing Company/American Elsevier, New York/Amsterdam
  3. Hallifax D Foster JA Houston JB Prediction of human metabolic clearance from in vitro systems: retrospective analysis and prospective view Pharm Res 2010 27 2150 2161 20661765
  4. Huang SM, Stifano T (2006) Drug interaction studies -study design, data analysis, and implications for dosing and labeling—DRAFT. GUIDANCE. FDA—Guidance for Industry 17259955
  5. ITC (International Transporter Consortium) Membrane transporters in drug development (Report from the FDA Critical Path Workshop) Nat Rev Drug Discov 2010 9 215 236 20190787 PMC3326076
  6. Lamers W, Moorman A, Charles R (1989) The metabolic lobulus, a key to the architecture of the liver. In: Revisiones Sobre Biologia Celular, Springer, New York

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Authors
Godoy, P., Hewitt, N. J., Albrecht, U., Andersen, M. E., Ansari, N., Bhattacharya, S., Bode, J. G., Bolleyn, J., Borner, C., Böttger, J., Braeuning, A., Budinsky, R. A., Burkhardt, B., Cameron, N. R., Camussi, G., Cho, C.-S., Choi, Y.-J., Craig Rowlands, J., Dahmen, U., Damm, G., Dirsch, O., Donato, M. T., Dong, J., Dooley, S., Drasdo, D., Eakins, R., Ferreira, K. S., Fonsato, V., Fraczek, J., Gebhardt, R., Gibson, A., Glanemann, M., Goldring, C. E. P., Gómez-Lechón, M. J., Groothuis, G. M. M., Gustavsson, L., Guyot, C., Hallifax, D., Hammad, S., Hayward, A., Häussinger, D., Hellerbrand, C., Hewitt, P., Hoehme, S., Holzhütter, H.-G., Houston, J. B., Hrach, J., Ito, K., Jaeschke, H., Keitel, V., Kelm, J. M., Kevin Park, B., Kordes, C., Kullak-Ublick, G. A., LeCluyse, E. L., Lu, P., Luebke-Wheeler, J., Lutz, A., Maltman, D. J., Matz-Soja, M., McMullen, P., Merfort, I., Messner, S., Meyer, C., Mwinyi, J., Naisbitt, D. J., Nussler, A. K., Olinga, P., Pampaloni, F., Pi, J., Pluta, L., Przyborski, S. A., Ramachandran, A., Rogiers, V., Rowe, C., Schelcher, C., Schmich, K., Schwarz, M., Singh, B., Stelzer, E. H. K., Stieger, B., Stöber, R., Sugiyama, Y., Tetta, C., Thasler, W. E., Vanhaecke, T., Vinken, M., Weiss, T. S., Widera, A., Woods, C. G., Xu, J. J., Yarborough, K. M., & Hengstler, J. G.
Affiliations
  • University of Zurich (CH)
  • Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (DE)
  • The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences (US)
  • Goethe University Frankfurt (DE)
  • Vrije Universiteit Brussel (BE)
  • University of Freiburg (DE)
  • Leipzig University (DE)
  • Dow Chemical (United States) (US)
  • Durham University (GB)
  • Seoul National University (KR)
  • Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe (ES)
  • Heidelberg University (DE)
  • University of Liverpool (GB)
  • University of Groningen (NL)
  • Lund University (SE)
  • University of Manchester (GB)
  • South Valley University (EG)
  • Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (DE)
  • University Hospital Regensburg (DE)
  • Merck KGaA, Darmstadt (Germany) (DE)
  • Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE)
  • Musashino University (JP)
  • University Hospital Zurich (CH)
  • Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA (United States) (US)
Corresponding author
Hewitt, Nicola J.
Venue
Archives of Toxicology
Published
2013-08
Volume
87
Issue
8
Pages
1315-1530
ISSN
  • 0340-5761 (ISSN-L)
  • 1432-0738
OpenAlex
W2134520937
Cited by
1,280
References
1,862
Citations by year
2026: 54 · 2025: 63 · 2024: 59 · 2023: 80 · 2022: 98 · 2021: 96 · 2020: 130 · 2019: 132 · 2018: 129 · 2017: 102 · 2016: 118 · 2015: 110 · 2014: 91 · 2013: 12
FWCI
18.06
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Archives of Toxicology (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (publishedVersion)
  • University of Regensburg Publication Server (University of Regensburg) (acceptedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
  • Durham Research Online (Durham University) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
  • Durham Research Online (Durham University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
  • Institutional Research Information System University of Turin (University of Turin) (submittedVersion)
  • Lund University Publications (Lund University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Repository of Digital Objects for Teaching Research and Culture (University of Valencia) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • VUBIR (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) (submittedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
  • University of Regensburg Publication Server (University of Regensburg)
Funders
  • Leibniz-Institut für Arbeitsforschung an der TU Dortmund
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (GRK1104, (EXC 294))
  • Agence Nationale de la Recherche
  • Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
  • Belgian Federal Science Policy Office
  • Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
  • National Research Foundation of Korea
  • Innoviris
  • Universität Regensburg
  • Vlaamse regering
  • National Institutes of Health (AA12916)
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (1233823)
  • Leibniz-Gemeinschaft
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (23590204)
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (R56AA012916, R01AA012916)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK070195)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmacology › Drug-Induced Hepatotoxicity and Protection
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hepatology › Liver physiology and pathology
  • Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal testing and alternatives
Keywords
hepatotoxicity, primary hepatocytes, non-parenchymal liver cells, hepatocyte co-culture, precision-cut liver slices, isolated perfused liver, stem cell-derived hepatocytes, induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes, nuclear receptors, Ras/MEK/ERK pathway, HNF4α, drug metabolism, ADME, drug interactions
MeSH terms
Animals, Gene Expression Regulation, Humans, Liver, Inactivation, Metabolic, Organ Culture Techniques, Signal Transduction, Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear, Toxicity Tests, Coculture Techniques, Hepatocytes, Toxicogenetics, Culture Techniques, High-Throughput Screening Assays

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