Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be differentiated into multiple cell types in the body while maintaining proliferative capabilities. The generation of human iPSC-derived hepatocytes (iPSC-Heps) has resulted in a new source for hepatic cells. The current available options for human hepatocytes are primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) and cell lines. PHHs isolated from healthy human donors are difficult to obtain, while cell lines exhibit reduced hepatotoxic sensitivity. iPSC-Heps are being investigated as an alternative option as they are derived from a continuous, stable source and are able to maintain their original donor genotype, which opens the door for patient-specific studies. iPSC-Heps show promise for utilization in tissue engineering, hepatotoxicity studies as well as screening for patient-specific therapeutics. Various reports have concluded that iPSC-Heps exhibit reduced hepatocyte function in comparison to PHHs. Prior reports on iPSC-Heps have focused on improving their adult phenotype functions through variations in differentiation protocols or by altering their in vitro culturing environment. This thesis focuses on incorporating hepatic non-parenchymal cells to more closely mimic the tissue and cell architecture found in the liver tissue. We designed and assembled a 3D iPSC-Hep model that integrates liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, with the goal of achieving functional maturity. Hepatotoxicants were administered to our models and various hepatic markers were measured to analyze the toxic response. This work demonstrates the need for the inclusion of hepatic non-parenchymal cells in iPSC-derived liver tissues, specifically for hepatotoxicity applications. / Master of Science / Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be differentiated into multiple cell types in the body while maintaining proliferative capabilities. The generation of human iPSC-derived hepatocytes (iPSC-Heps) has resulted in a new source for hepatic cells. The current available options for human hepatocytes are primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) and cell lines. PHHs originating from healthy human donors are difficult to obtain, while cell lines may exhibit reduced hepatotoxic sensitivity to chemicals. iPSC-Heps are being investigated as an alternative option since they are derived from a continuous source and are able to maintain their original donor genetic make-up, allowing for patient-specific studies. iPSC-Heps can be used in tissue engineering, hepatotoxicity studies as well as screening for patient-specific therapeutics. Various reports have concluded that iPSC-Heps exhibit reduced function in comparison to PHHs. Prior reports on iPSC-Heps have focused on improving their function through variations in differentiation procedures or by changing their culture environment. This thesis focuses on incorporating other hepatic cells to more closely mimic the tissue and cell architecture found in the liver tissue. We designed and assembled a 3D iPSC-Hep model that integrates liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, with the goal of improving hepatocyte function. Chemicals were administered to our models and various hepatic markers were measured to analyze the toxic response. This work demonstrates the need for the inclusion of additional hepatic cell types in iPSC-derived liver tissues, specifically for hepatotoxicity applications.

Das Enzym Glutaminsynthetase (GS) wird in Organen mit niedriger enzymatischer Aktivität in zumeist allen Zellen exprimiert. Auf der anderen Seite ist die Expression in Geweben mit hoher Aktivität auf spezialisierte Zellen beschränkt. So findet man in der Säugerleber Expression der GS nur in Hepatozyten, die in ein bis drei Zellreihen um die Zentralvenen lokalisiert sind. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde die Frage gestellt, ob der zwischen verschiedenen Spezies hoch konservierte 3’-Bereich der nicht-translatierten Region des GS-Gens an der Regulation der Expression und der Zonierung beteiligt ist. Hierzu wurden Reportergenstudien, transiente Transfektionen sowie Northern-Blot-Experimente unter Verwendung von primären Hepatozyten aus dem periportalen und perizentralen Bereich der Rattenleber durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse der Arbeit lassen eine über das 3’-Ende vermittelte selektive Destabilisierung der GS-mRNA in periportalen (GS-negativen) Hepatozyten vermuten. Zudem zeigte sich, dass die Wechselwirkung des 3’-UTRs mit Bereichen des 5’-UTRs, bzw. dem GS-Promotor für die eigentliche Regulation verantwortlich ist. Es lässt sich vermuten, dass eine posttranskriptionale Regulation neben den in den letzten Jahren aufgeklärten Mechanismen der Regulation der Transkription mit zur Feinsteuerung der Expression der GS beiträgt.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), characterized by lipid accumulation in the liver, is the most common cause of liver diseases in Western countries. NAFLD is a major risk factor for developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, in vitro evaluation of hepatic cancerogenesis fails due to a lack of liver models displaying a proliferation of hepatocytes. Originally designed to overcome primary human hepatocyte (PHH) shortages, upcyte hepatocytes were engineered to obtain continuous proliferation and, therefore, could be a suitable tool for HCC research. We generated upcyte hepatocytes, termed HepaFH3 cells, and compared their metabolic characteristics to HepG2 hepatoma cells and PHHs isolated from resected livers. For displaying NAFLD-related HCCs, we induced steatosis in all liver models. Lipid accumulation, lipotoxicity and energy metabolism were characterized using biochemical assays and Western blot analysis. We showed that proliferating HepaFH3 cells resemble HepG2, both showing a higher glucose uptake rate, lactate levels and metabolic rate compared to PHHs. Confluent HepaFH3 cells displayed some similarities to PHHs, including higher levels of the transaminases AST and ALT compared to proliferating HepaFH3 cells. We recommend proliferating HepaFH3 cells as a pre-malignant cellular model for HCC research, while confluent HepaFH3 cells could serve as PHH surrogates for energy metabolism studies.

Die Zellreplikation ein kontrollierter Prozess aus sequentieller und zeitlich koordinierter Aktivierung und Abbau von Zyklinen, die einen schnellen Übergang zwischen den Zyklusphasen ermöglichen. Dabei ist der Erfolg bei der Ermittlung der wichtigsten Komponenten und Aufgliederung der Schaltmechanismen im Wesentlichen auf die gleichzeitige Anwendung von Modellsystemen wie Hefe, Frosch und Fliege zurückzuführen. Das heutige Verständnis des Zellzyklus muss erweitert werden, um zu überprüfen ob die Erkenntnisse auch auf in-vivo Modelle von Säugetieren wie der Maus zutreffen. Es existieren solche Modelle, die sich auf spezifische Kontrollpunkte oder Übergänge konzentrieren, allerdings noch kein integriertes Modell, in dem der Zellzyklus durch eine Verletzung im Säugetier induziert wird. Das Modellsystem der Leberregeneration bei Nagern wurde gewählt, da es sich durch das am höchsten verbreitete Phänomen der Synchronisation der Zellproliferation auszeichnet. Mit dem Fokus auf die Frage, wie die Zellen durch pro-inflammatorische Signale nach Verletzungen ins Priming in der G1/S Phase eintreten, gingen wir in einen durch Zytokine und Wachstumsfaktoren induzierten Säugetier-Zellzyklus über. Weiterhin wurden mitotische Ereignisse modelliert, die zum Alles-oder-Nichts G2/M Übergang und dem mitotischen Ausgang führen. Wir konzentrieren uns auf die vielversprechende Funktion von Cdh1 in der Zellzykluskontrolle, welches bekanntlich eine Schlüsselrolle in der G1 Phase spielt. Weiterhin haben wir dessen Rolle bei der Verzögerung der G2 Phase untersucht. Wir vermuten eine zentrale Rolle von Cdh1 im Zellzyklus durch die Kontrolle der Dynamik der Zykline. Das Modell ist ein Versuch, die Kernmechanismen der Zellzykluskontrolle bei Säugetieren zu verstehen. Besseres Verständnis der Mechanismen in der Säugetierzelle würde das Studium der Zellphysiologie im Hinblick auf Störungen der humanen Zellzyklusmaschinerie, welche zu Krankheiten wie Krebs führen. / Cell replication is a controlled process with sequential and timely activation and degradation of cyclins leading to swift transitions between the phases of the cell cycle. The essential achievement in identifying the key components and in dissecting the mechanisms of the cell cycle circuitry has been attributed to the simultaneous use of model systems like yeast, frogs, and flies. Present understanding of the cell cycle needs to be extended to investigate whether those findings also apply to mammalian in-vivo models like mice. We chose liver regeneration in mammals as the model system because it is the most synchronised cell proliferation phenomenon, where 95\% of the cells simultaneously enter cell cycle. The G1-S phase transition was modelled, focusing on how injury induced pro-inflammatory signals \textit{prime} the cells in G1 phase and consequently both cytokine and growth factor induced pathways lead to further cell cycle progression. The model was further extended to mitotic events leading to the all-or-none G2-M transition and mitotic exit. I focussed on the emerging role of Cdh1 in the mammalian cell cycle. Cdh1 known for its role in G1 phase was further investigated for its role G2 delay. Cdh1 was suggested to be at the core of the cell cycle machinery controlling cyclin dynamics. This model is an attempt in understanding core machinery of the mammalian cell cycle. Better understanding of the cell cycle control system in mammalian cells would enable understanding perturbations of the human cell cycle machinery which lead to diseases like cancers.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2005. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Das Enzym Glutaminsynthetase (GS) wird in Organen mit niedriger enzymatischer Aktivität in zumeist allen Zellen exprimiert. Auf der anderen Seite ist die Expression in Geweben mit hoher Aktivität auf spezialisierte Zellen beschränkt. So findet man in der Säugerleber Expression der GS nur in Hepatozyten, die in ein bis drei Zellreihen um die Zentralvenen lokalisiert sind. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde die Frage gestellt, ob der zwischen verschiedenen Spezies hoch konservierte 3’-Bereich der nicht-translatierten Region des GS-Gens an der Regulation der Expression und der Zonierung beteiligt ist. Hierzu wurden Reportergenstudien, transiente Transfektionen sowie Northern-Blot-Experimente unter Verwendung von primären Hepatozyten aus dem periportalen und perizentralen Bereich der Rattenleber durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse der Arbeit lassen eine über das 3’-Ende vermittelte selektive Destabilisierung der GS-mRNA in periportalen (GS-negativen) Hepatozyten vermuten. Zudem zeigte sich, dass die Wechselwirkung des 3’-UTRs mit Bereichen des 5’-UTRs, bzw. dem GS-Promotor für die eigentliche Regulation verantwortlich ist. Es lässt sich vermuten, dass eine posttranskriptionale Regulation neben den in den letzten Jahren aufgeklärten Mechanismen der Regulation der Transkription mit zur Feinsteuerung der Expression der GS beiträgt.

La sélection des meilleurs candidats médicament se base sur des choix multiparamétriques réunissant l’efficacité potentielle, les caractéristiques ADME et le profil de sécurité des nouvelles entités chimiques. En ce sens, la prédiction précoce de la pharmacocinétique est élémentaire pour orienter les prises de décision et donner un cap pertinent aux projets. En raison de son rôle central dans le devenir des médicaments, la clairance métabolique médiée principalement par le foie est l’un des paramètres les plus importants. L’objectif de ce projet était d’améliorer la prédiction de la clairance en se concentrant notamment sur les molécules présentant une bonne stabilité métabolique et qui sont de ce fait encore difficiles à étudier. Les travaux menés dans cette thèse nous ont permis d’étoffer nos connaissances sur les modèles hépatiques in vitro et les méthodes d’extrapolation usuelles mais aussi de découvrir et de développer de nouvelles stratégies de prédiction. Nous nous sommes concentrés en profondeur sur la clairance métabolique et à tout ce qui impacte les prédictions. Le modèle de co-culture microorganisée (MPCC) HepatopacTM qui permet de stabiliser les hépatocytes humains sur plusieurs semaines a ainsi été identifié comme une alternative judicieuse aux modèles de routine lorsque les molécules ne peuvent pas être étudiées en culture 2D classique. L’étude de la fraction libre plasmatique et l’intégration de nouvelles hypothèses physiologiques telles que la théorie de « l’uptake facilité par l’albumine » ont également participé à améliorer les prédictions. Compte tenu des performances du modèle HepatopacTM, nous avons développé une approche innovante basée sur le spotting de précision afin de produire tous types de co-cultures microorganisées. Les co-cultures fabriquées grâce à cette technique démontrent que la méthode est robuste, accessible et simple à mettre en œuvre. Notre méthode de spotting a ensuite été utilisée pour faire évoluer le modèle MPCC et l’ouvrir à de nouvelles applications. / The selection of the best drug candidates is based on multiparametric choices combining the potential efficacy, ADME characteristics and the safety profile of the new chemical entities. In this sense, the early prediction of pharmacokinetic is essential to guide decision-making and provide a relevant course for projects. Because of its central role in drug disposition, metabolic clearance mediated primarily by the liver is one of the most important parameters. The objective of this project was to improve clearance prediction by focusing on low clearance compounds that are still difficult to study. This work allowed us to expand our knowledge on in vitro liver models and usual extrapolation methods but also to discover and develop new prediction strategies. We focused on metabolic clearance and all parameters that impact the predictions. Micropatterned co-cultures (MPCCs) of primary human hepatocytes (HepatopacTM), which stabilizes hepatocytes over several weeks, has been identified as a judicious alternative to routine models when the molecules cannot be studied in conventional monolayer culture. The study of plasma protein binding and the integration of new physiological hypothesis such as the "Albumin-Facilitated Uptake" also contributed to improve the predictions. Given the performance of the HepatopacTM model, we have developed an innovative approach using a digital dispensing system to spot collagen and produce all types of micropatterned co-cultures. Co-cultures manufactured by this technique demonstrate that the method is robust, accessible and easy to use. Our spotting method was used to evolve the MPCC model and explore new applications.

Wu, Xinggang. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-161). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

Lors de mes travaux de thèse je me suis intéressée à l’invasion des hépatocytes par Plasmodium. Bien que certains récepteurs cellulaires mis en jeu aient déjà été identifiés tels que CD81 et SR-B1, les facteurs parasitaires restaient à identifier. J’ai testé différents facteurs parasitaires grâce à un protocole de test d’invasion de cellules HepG2 et HepG2/CD81 par des parasites complémentés avec différentes protéines. Suite à l’identification de la protéine P36 comme déterminant du choix de la voie d’entrée dans les hépatocytes, j’ai étudié les déterminants structuraux de cette protéine nécessaires à la détermination de la voie d’entrée. Pour cela j’ai complémenté des parasites délétés pour P36 avec des protéines chimériques exprimant les domaines d’un parasite utilisant à la fois les récepteurs CD81 et SR-B1 et des domaines d’un parasites ne pouvant utiliser que la voie CD81. J’ai identifié le second domaine à 6 cystéine de P36 comme déterminant du choix de la voie d’invasion. Afin d’étudier les interactions de P36 avec d’éventuels récepteurs cellulaires, j’ai produit cette protéine en système bactérien. Les protéines ont été utilisées pour réaliser des tests d’interactions (ELISA et SPR) avec des récepteurs d’intérêt : CD81, SR-B1, CD36, LIMPII et EphA2 qui n’ont malheureusement pas permis d’identifier le ligand de P36. Des anticorps sont également en cours de production, dans le but d’une part de tester s’ils sont capables de bloquer l’invasion des hépatocytes par Plasmodium et d’autre part de localiser la protéine chez le parasite. Enfin, j’ai étudié les polymorphismes des protéines P36 de parasites infectant l’homme. / During my thesis, I was interested in the study of the hepatocyte invasion by Plasmodium. Several cellular receptors are involved, such as CD81 and SRB1, but the parasitic factors required were unknown until now. I tested different parasitic factors thanks to an invasion test of HepG2 or HepG2/CD81 cells with parasites complemented with different proteins. Following the identification of the 6 cystein protein P36 as a determinants of the entry pathway, I studied the structural determinants of this protein which are involved in the hepatocytes’ entry pathway. To this end, I complemented parasites knock-out for P36 with chimeric proteins constituted of domains of a parasite using both CD81 and SRB1, and domains from a parasite using only CD81. I showed that the second 6 cystein domain of P36 is decisive in the entry pathway choice.In order to study the P36 interactions with potential cellular receptors, I developed a production protocol of this protein in bacteria. I used the recombinant protein to test the interactions (ELISA and SPR) with potential receptors: CD81, SRB1, CD36, LIMP2, Epha2. Unfortunately, no interaction has been detected. Antibodies are in production, in order to test whether they are capable to block the hepatocyte invasion by Plasmodium. They will also be used to localize the protein in the parasite. In the end, I studied the polymorphisms of P36 in human parasites.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) results from an unequal uptake/storage and export/oxidation of lipids within the liver and is often a secondary disease to type II diabetes (22). NAFLD causes this imbalance of lipids by altering glucose and lipid metabolism, which corresponds to a decrease in mitochondrial function leading to failure of the liver. One established treatment for type II diabetes and NAFLD is the drug metformin, which has similar properties to the newly discovered CTRP 3 protein which is part of a group of bioactive molecules secreted by adipose tissue, collectively termed adipokines (2-4). Both have similar effects on hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism and both specifically suppress hepatic gluconeogenesis (11, 17, 27, 29). The revolutionary Seahorse extracellular flux analyzer was used to measure the metabolism of H4IIE hepatocytes without use of radiolabeling (1). By detecting the Oxygen Consumption Rate (OCR) of hepatocytes the level of metabolic function within mitochondria can be measured. Once an effective protocol was established using this new technology, hepatocytes treated with metformin had a significantly lower OCR compared to control treated hepatocytes treated. However, H4IIE hepatocytes treated with metformin and palmitate had a significant increase in OCR and eventually equilibrated with the lower OCR of hepatocytes solely treated with metformin. With similar effect, hepatocytes treated with CTRP3 and palmitate caused a drastic increase in OCR while hepatocytes treated with only CTRP3 had a decrease in OCR. This suggests that CTRP3 increases fatty acid oxidation which decreases lipid concentrations within hepatocytes which could mean future protection of liver against NAFLD. In conclusion, our Seahorse XF analyzer models compare metformin and CTRP3’s similarities and suggest the possible liver protective functions of CTRP3. Our results will aid in future research of CTRP3 to further determine its possible uses as a treatment for liver-associated diseases.