Cell Structure and Function
Online ISSN : 1347-3700
Print ISSN : 0386-7196
ISSN-L : 0386-7196
Effect of Dimethyl Sulfoxide on Cytosolic Ionized Calcium Concentration and Cytoskeletal Organization of Hepatocytes in a Primary Culture
Noboru Yamamoto
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1989 Volume 14 Issue 1 Pages 75-85

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Abstract

The addition of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to a chemically defined, serum free medium prolonged hepatocytes survival in primary culture. DMSO exposure had a remarkable effect on morphological change and F-actin filaments distribution of hepatocytes. When hepatocytes were cultured in a medium containing 2% DMSO, the cells showed a compact and cubical shape and intracellular F-actin filaments were mainly observed in a ring-like fashion around the intercellular space. After exposure to DMSO, fibronectin fibers in the interspace between cell and substratum were not apparent.
Exposing the hepatocytes to DMSO also caused a sharp increase in cytosolic free ionized calcium ([Ca2+]i). The initial increase in [Ca2+]i following the addition of DMSO was not attenuated by the chelation of extracellular Ca2+ with EGTA. The Ca2+ signal in the absence of extracellular Ca2+ was transient and returned to the basal levels within 1-2 min, while it was maintained at a high steady state in the presence of extracellular Ca2+. These results suggest that DMSO may be able to increase [Ca2+]i by two mechanisms, by the release of the ion from intracellular pools and, by the stimulation of influx across the plasma membrane.
The increase in [Ca2+]i induced by DMSO treatment may play a role in pro-longing hepatocyte survival in culture, since [Ca2+]i is one of the most important dynamic second messengers in various cellular metabolic processes.

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© Japan Society for Cell Biology
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