Constitutive and inducible profile of glutathione S-transferase subunits in biliary epithelial cells and hepatocytes isolated from rat liver

The constitutive and inducible cytosolic glutathione S-transferase (EC2.5.1.18) subunit compositions of parenchymal cells (hepatocytes) and biliary epithelial cells (BEC) from rat liver have been quantitatively analysed using reverse-phase h.p.l.c. Hepatocytes, analysed in the absence of non-parenchymal cells, expressed constitutively the following subunits, in order of their concentration: 3, 4, 2, 1a, 1b, 8, 6 and 10. BEC express constitutively only four of the GST subunits expressed by hepatocytes and these are, in order of their concentration: subunits 2, 7, 4 and 3. Notable differences from hepatocytes are that BEC completely lack the Alpha-class subunits 1a and 1b that are major subunits in hepatocytes, Mu-class subunits make up a very low proportion of the total, and the Pi-class subunit 7 is a major subunit in BEC, whereas it is essentially absent from hepatocytes. For the first time, the effects of the inducing agents phenobarbitone (PB), β-naphthoflavone (β-NF) and ethoxyquin (EQ) have been characterized in a comprehensive and quantitative manner in both cell types. PB, β-NF and EQ increased total GST protein in hepatocytes by approx. 2-fold, 3-fold and 4-fold respectively. Subunits significantly induced in hepatocytes were (in order of fold-induction): by PB, 1b > 8 > 3 > 2 > 4; by β-NF, 1b > 8 > 2 > 3 > 4; and by EQ, 7 > 1b > 10 > 8 > 3 > 2 > 1a > 4. In BEC, neither PB nor β-NF had significant effects on the total amount of GST protein, although PB did significantly induce subunit 3 at the expense of other subunits. EQ increased total GST protein nearly S-fold in BEC, subunits 7 and 3 being induced dramatically above constitutive levels.