Name: measurement of fatty acid &#946;-oxidation in a suspension of freshly isolated mouse hepatocytes
Uploaded: 2021-09-09T13:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Measurement of Fatty Acid Î²-Oxidation in a Suspension of Freshly Isolated Mouse Hepatocytes at JoVE.com

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health grant R35GM119528 to Roberta Leonardi.

All experimental procedures on mice (C57BL/6J, males, 9-11 weeks of age) were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC) of West Virginia University.
1. Hepatocyte isolation
<ol>
	<li>Preparation
	<ol>
		<li>In the days before the hepatocyte isolation, prepare the buffers and cell culture media listed in Table 1. Set up a water bath with the temperature set to 37 &#176;C close to where the surgery will be performed.</li>
		<li>On the day of the hepa...

<ol>
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M., Leonardi, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Overexpression+of+Nudt7+decreases+bile+acid+levels+and+peroxisomal+fatty+acid+oxidation+in+the+liver.">Overexpression of Nudt7 decreases bile acid levels and peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation in the liver.</a> Journal of Lipid Research. 60 (5), 1005-1019 (2019).</li><li>Richert, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gene+expression+in+human+hepatocytes+in+suspension+after+isolation+is+similar+to+the+liver+of+origin,+is+not+affected+by+hepatocyte+cold+storage+and+cryopreservation,+but+is+strongly+changed+after+hepatocyte+plating.">Gene expression in human hepatocytes in suspension after isolation is similar to the liver of origin, is not affected by hepatocyte cold storage and cryopreservation, but is strongly changed after hepatocyte plating.</a> Drug Metabolism and Disposition: The Biological Fate of Chemicals. 34 (5), 870-879 (2006).</li><li>Colbert, R. 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A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Peroxisome+proliferator-activated+receptor-gamma+coactivator-1alpha+overexpression+increases+lipid+oxidation+in+myocytes+from+extremely+obese+individuals.">Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1alpha overexpression increases lipid oxidation in myocytes from extremely obese individuals.</a> Diabetes. 59 (6), 1407-1415 (2010).</li><li>Lee, S. M., Schelcher, C., Demmel, M., Hauner, M., Thasler, W. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Isolation+of+human+hepatocytes+by+a+two-step+collagenase+perfusion+procedure.">Isolation of human hepatocytes by a two-step collagenase perfusion procedure.</a> Journal of Visualized Experiments: JoVE. (79), e50615 (2013).</li><li>Lilly, K., Chung, C., Kerner, J., VanRenterghem, R., Bieber, L. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effect+of+etomoxiryl-CoA+on+different+carnitine+acyltransferases.">Effect of etomoxiryl-CoA on different carnitine acyltransferases.</a> Biochemical Pharmacology. 43 (2), 353-361 (1992).</li><li>Yu, X. X., Drackley, J. K., Odle, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rates+of+mitochondrial+and+peroxisomal+beta-oxidation+of+palmitate+change+during+postnatal+development+and+food+deprivation+in+liver,+kidney+and+heart+of+pigs.">Rates of mitochondrial and peroxisomal beta-oxidation of palmitate change during postnatal development and food deprivation in liver, kidney and heart of pigs.</a> Journal of Nutrition. 127 (9), 1814-1821 (1997).</li><li>Yu, X. X., Drackley, J. K., Odle, J., Lin, X. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Response+of+hepatic+mitochondrial+and+peroxisomal+beta-oxidation+to+increasing+palmitate+concentrations+in+piglets.">Response of hepatic mitochondrial and peroxisomal beta-oxidation to increasing palmitate concentrations in piglets.</a> Biology of the Neonate. 72 (5), 284-292 (1997).</li><li>Veerkamp, J. H., van Moerkerk, H. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Peroxisomal+fatty+acid+oxidation+in+rat+and+human+tissues.+Effect+of+nutritional+state,+clofibrate+treatment+and+postnatal+development+in+the+rat.">Peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation in rat and human tissues. Effect of nutritional state, clofibrate treatment and postnatal development in the rat.</a> Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Bioenergetics. 875 (2), 301-310 (1986).</li><li>Hakvoort, T. B., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Interorgan+coordination+of+the+murine+adaptive+response+to+fasting.">Interorgan coordination of the murine adaptive response to fasting.</a> Journal of Biological Chemistry. 286 (18), 16332-16343 (2011).</li><li>Sokolovic, M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+transcriptomic+signature+of+fasting+murine+liver.">The transcriptomic signature of fasting murine liver.</a> BMC Genomics. 9, 528 (2008).</li><li>Kersten, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Peroxisome+proliferator-activated+receptor+alpha+mediates+the+adaptive+response+to+fasting.">Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha mediates the adaptive response to fasting.</a> Journal of Clinical Investigation. 103 (11), 1489-1498 (1999).</li><li>Li, W. C., Ralphs, K. L., Tosh, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Isolation+and+culture+of+adult+mouse+hepatocytes.">Isolation and culture of adult mouse hepatocytes.</a> Methods in Molecular Biology. 633, 185-196 (2010).</li><li>Ng, I. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Isolation+of+Primary+Rat+Hepatocytes+with+Multiparameter+Perfusion+Control.">Isolation of Primary Rat Hepatocytes with Multiparameter Perfusion Control.</a> Journal of Visualized Experiments: JoVE. (170), e62289 (2021).</li><li>Shen, L., Hillebrand, A., Wang, D. Q., Liu, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Isolation+and+primary+culture+of+rat+hepatic+cells.">Isolation and primary culture of rat hepatic cells.</a> Journal of Visualized Experiments: JoVE. (64), e3917 (2012).</li><li>Fulgencio, J. P., Kohl, C., Girard, J., Pegorier, J. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effect+of+metformin+on+fatty+acid+and+glucose+metabolism+in+freshly+isolated+hepatocytes+and+on+specific+gene+expression+in+cultured+hepatocytes.">Effect of metformin on fatty acid and glucose metabolism in freshly isolated hepatocytes and on specific gene expression in cultured hepatocytes.</a> Biochemical Pharmacology. 62 (4), 439-446 (2001).</li><li>Leonardi, R., Rock, C. O., Jackowski, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Pank1+deletion+in+leptin-deficient+mice+reduces+hyperglycaemia+and+hyperinsulinaemia+and+modifies+global+metabolism+without+affecting+insulin+resistance.">Pank1 deletion in leptin-deficient mice reduces hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia and modifies global metabolism without affecting insulin resistance.</a> Diabetologia. 57 (7), 1466-1475 (2014).</li><li>Bougarne, N., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=PPARalpha+blocks+glucocorticoid+receptor+alpha-mediated+transactivation+but+cooperates+with+the+activated+glucocorticoid+receptor+alpha+for+transrepression+on+NF-kappaB.">PPARalpha blocks glucocorticoid receptor alpha-mediated transactivation but cooperates with the activated glucocorticoid receptor alpha for transrepression on NF-kappaB.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 106 (18), 7397-7402 (2009).</li><li>Korelova, K., Jirouskova, M., Sarnova, L., Gregor, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Isolation+and+3D+collagen+sandwich+culture+of+primary+mouse+hepatocytes+to+study+the+role+of+cytoskeleton+in+bile+canalicular+formation+in+vitro.">Isolation and 3D collagen sandwich culture of primary mouse hepatocytes to study the role of cytoskeleton in bile canalicular formation in vitro.</a> Journal of Visualized Experiments: JoVE. (154), e60507 (2019).</li></ol>

During the liver perfusion, it is critical to avoid the introduction of air bubbles, as they block the microcapillaries in the liver, preventing or restricting the buffer circulation and overall decreasing the hepatocyte yield and viability20,21. Precautions, such as closely inspecting the buffer-filled inlet line before cannulation of the IVC and avoiding lifting the inlet line off the tube containing Buffer 1 to switch to Buffer 2, as described herein, can succ...

Fatty acid &#946;-oxidation is an essential process in lipid metabolism, providing a catabolic pathway to balance fatty acid synthesis and intake from the diet. This process generates energy for multiple organs, including the cardiac muscle, kidney cortex, and fasted liver, and utilizes fatty acids obtained from the diet, adipose tissue lipolysis, and internal triglyceride stores1,2.
Oxidation of fatty acid through the &#946;-oxidation pathway results in the sequential shortening of the fatty acyl chain by two carbons at a time, released as acetyl-CoA, and this process occurs both in the mitochondria and the peroxisomes. While most fatty acids undergo only &#946;-oxidation, some are oxidized at different carbons before entering this pathway. For example, 3-methyl-substituted fatty acids, such as phytanic acid, undergo removal of one carbon by &#945;-oxidation in the peroxisomes before entering the &#946;-oxidation pathway. Similarly, some fatty acids are first converted to dicarboxylic fatty acids by oxidation of the terminal methyl group (&#969;-oxidation) in the endoplasmic reticulum before being preferentially oxidized in the peroxisomes by &#946;-oxidation3.
Regardless of the specific organelle, a fatty acid must first be converted to a coenzyme A (CoA) thioester, or acyl-CoA, to be oxidized through the &#946;-oxidation pathway. &#946;-Oxidation of long-chain acyl-CoAs in the mitochondrial matrix requires the carnitine shuttle for their translocation, where carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) catalyzes the conversion of acyl-CoAs to acylcarnitines and is the rate-limiting enzyme in this process4. Once translocated to the mitochondrial matrix, the acyl-CoAs are re-formed and serve as substrates for the mitochondrial &#946;-oxidation machinery. In the fasted state, the acetyl-CoA produced through &#946;-oxidation in hepatic mitochondria is primarily channeled to ketogenesis. Peroxisomes serve as the primary site for the &#946;-oxidation of very long-chain, branched-chain, and dicarboxylic fatty acids. Peroxisomes do not require the carnitine shuttle to import fatty acid substrates, instead&#160;importing the correspondent acyl-CoAs through the activity of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters ABCD1-35. Within the peroxisomes, acyl-CoAs are then oxidized by a dedicated set of enzymes, distinct from the mitochondrial fatty acid &#946;-oxidation machinery. Both mitochondria and peroxisomes also require a supply of NAD+ and free CoA to oxidize fatty acyl chains. CoA levels in the liver have been shown to increase in response to fasting, supporting the increased rate of fatty acid oxidation which occurs in this state6. Furthermore, increased CoA degradation in the peroxisomes results in a selective decrease in peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation7. Therefore, the process of fatty acid oxidation within the cell is regulated by the expression levels and activities of enzymes involved in the activation, transport, and oxidation of fatty acids, as well as the concentrations of cofactors and other metabolites throughout multiple subcellular compartments.
Procedures using tissue homogenates to measure fatty acid oxidation destroy the cellular architecture regulating and supporting this process, leading to a collection of data that does not accurately reflect the in vivo metabolism. While techniques using plated primary hepatocytes preserve this system, culturing isolated cells for extended periods of time results in a loss of the in vivo gene expression profile that was present in the cells when they were still living within the animal8,9. The following protocol describes a method to isolate primary hepatocytes and assay their capacity for fatty acid &#946;-oxidation immediately after isolation and in suspension, using [1-14C]palmitic acid. The assay is based on the measurement of the radioactivity associated with the acid-soluble metabolites (ASM) or products, like acetyl-CoA, produced by the &#946;-oxidation of [1-14C]palmitic acid10,11.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>(R)-(+)-Etomoxir sodium salt</td>
			<td>Tocris Bioscience</td>
			<td>4539/10</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>[1-14C]-Palmitic acid, 50&#8211;60 mCi/mmol, 0.5 mCi/mL</td>
			<td>American Radiolabeled Chemicals</td>
			<td>ARC 0172A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1 M HEPES, sterile</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>25060CI</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>10 &#181;L disposable capillaries/pistons for positive displacement pipette</td>
			<td>Mettler Toledo</td>
			<td>17008604</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1000 &#181;L, 200 &#181;L, and 10 &#181;L pipettes and tips</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>5 mL, 10 mL, and 25 mL serological pipettes</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>50 mL sterile centrifuge tubes</td>
			<td>CellTreat</td>
			<td>229421</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>70% Perchloric acid</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>A2296-1LB</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BSA, fatty acid-free</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP9704100</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CaCl2 dihydrate</td>
			<td>MilliporeSigma</td>
			<td>223506</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>D-(+)-Glucose</td>
			<td>MilliporeSigma</td>
			<td>G7021</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EGTA</td>
			<td>Gold Biotechnology</td>
			<td>E-217</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethanol</td>
			<td>Pharmco</td>
			<td>111000200CSPP</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Filter System, 0.22 &#956;m PES Filter, 500 mL, Sterile</td>
			<td>CellTreat</td>
			<td>229707</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gentamicin sulphate</td>
			<td>Gold Biotechnology</td>
			<td>G-400-25</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HDPE, 6.5 mL scintillation vials</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>03-342-3</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hemocytometer</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hypodermic needles 22 G, 1.5 in</td>
			<td>BD Biosciences</td>
			<td>305156</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Isoflurane</td>
			<td>VetOne</td>
			<td>502017</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>KCl</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP366-1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>KH2PO4</td>
			<td>MilliporeSigma</td>
			<td>P5655</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Liberase TM Research Grade</td>
			<td>MilliporeSigma</td>
			<td>5401119001</td>
			<td>Defined blend of purified collagenase I and II with a medium concentration of thermolysin</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>M199 medium</td>
			<td>MilliporeSigma</td>
			<td>M5017</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MgSO4 heptahydrate</td>
			<td>MilliporeSigma</td>
			<td>M1880</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microcentrifuge</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>accuSpin Micro 17</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microdissecting Scissors</td>
			<td>Roboz Surgical Instrument Co</td>
			<td>RS-5980</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NaCl</td>
			<td>Chem-Impex International</td>
			<td>30070</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NaHCO3</td>
			<td>Acros Organics</td>
			<td>424270010</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Palmitic acid</td>
			<td>MilliporeSigma</td>
			<td>P0500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Penicillin/streptomycin (100x)</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>15140122</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Phosphate buffered saline (PBS)</td>
			<td>Cytiva Life Sciences</td>
			<td>SH30256.01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Positive displacement pipette MR-10, 10 &#181;L</td>
			<td>Mettler Toledo</td>
			<td>17008575</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Refrigerated centrifuge with inserts for 50 mL conical tubes</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>5810 R</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Round-bottom, 14 mL, polypropylene culture test tubes</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>14-956-9A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Scintillation counter</td>
			<td>Perkin Elmer</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>TriCarb 4810 TR</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ScintiVerse BD cocktail</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>SX18-4</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Shaking water bath, 30 L capacity</td>
			<td>New Brunswick Scientific</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>&#160;Model G76</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sterile cell strainers, 100 &#181;m</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>22363549</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Thumb Dressing Forceps</td>
			<td>Roboz Surgical Instrument Co</td>
			<td>RS-8120</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypan Blue</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>25900CI</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Variable-flow peristaltic pump</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>138762</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Water baths, 2&#8211;2.5 L capacity</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

measurement of fatty acid &#946;-oxidation in a suspension of freshly isolated mouse hepatocytes

Fatty acid &#946;-oxidation is a key metabolic pathway to meet the energy demands of the liver and provide substrates and cofactors for additional processes, such as ketogenesis and gluconeogenesis, which are essential to maintain whole-body glucose homeostasis and support extra-hepatic organ function in the fasted state. Fatty acid &#946;-oxidation occurs within the mitochondria and peroxisomes and is regulated through multiple mechanisms, including the uptake and activation of fatty acids, enzyme expression levels, and availability of cofactors such as coenzyme A and NAD+. In assays that measure fatty acid &#946;-oxidation in liver homogenates, cell lysis and the common addition of supraphysiological levels of cofactors mask the effects of these regulatory mechanisms. Furthermore, the integrity of the organelles in the homogenates is hard to control and can vary significantly between preparations. The measurement of fatty acid &#946;-oxidation in intact primary hepatocytes overcomes the above pitfalls. This protocol describes a method for the measurement of fatty acid &#946;-oxidation in a suspension of freshly isolated primary mouse hepatocytes incubated with 14C-labeled palmitic acid. By avoiding hours to days of culture, this method has the advantage of better preserving the protein expression levels and metabolic pathway activity of the original liver, including the activation of fatty acid &#946;-oxidation observed in hepatocytes isolated from fasted mice compared to fed mice.

The liver perfusion described here typically yields 30-40 million cells/liver with average viability of 80%, as estimated by trypan blue exclusion (Figure 2). The typical concentration of glucose in the Krebs-Henseleit buffer (KHB), which is used to prepare the perfusion Buffers 1 and 2, is 11 mM. When measuring fatty acid &#946;-oxidation in hepatocytes isolated from fasted mice, the concentration of glucose in the KHB can be lowered to better represent the fasted state. As shown in <strong...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Measurement of Fatty Acid Î²-Oxidation in a Suspension of Freshly Isolated Mouse Hepatocytes at JoVE.com

Measurement of Fatty Acid &#946;-Oxidation in a Suspension of Freshly Isolated Mouse Hepatocytes

Fatty acid &#946;-oxidation is an essential metabolic pathway responsible for generating energy in many different cell types, including hepatocytes. Here, we describe a method to measure fatty acid &#946;-oxidation in freshly isolated primary hepatocytes using 14C-labeled palmitic acid.

Fatty acid &#946;-oxidation is a key metabolic pathway to meet the energy demands of the liver and provide substrates and cofactors for additional ...

This protocol was developed to provide a robust method for the measurement of total mitochondrial and peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation in primary mouse hepatocytes. The use of intact cells maintains organelle integrity and the regulatory mechanisms in place. Additionally, assaying freshly isolated hepatocytes minimizes changes in gene expression with respect to the liver of origin.The surgery can be challenging. You have to be confident, diligent, and focused. Once the cannulation is successful, try and relax, but pay attention and monitor the quality of the perfusion.To start the procedure, liberally spray the abdomen and chest of the anesthetized mouse with 70%ethanol. Then use the forceps to pull up the skin and abdominal wall near the base of the abdomen and cut laterally on either side of the midline and up to the diaphragm to expose the organs. Expose the inferior vena cava, or IVC, by moving the intestines to the right side and gently flipping the lobes of the liver up.Insert a small cylindrical object, such as a needle cap, under the back of the mouse to slightly tilt the IVC and facilitate the cannulation. After starting the pump with buffer one at the lowest speed, insert the needle into the IVC. Then cut the portal vein to relieve the pressure and allow drainage of blood and perfusion buffers.Before increasing the flow rate to seven mL per minute. Perfuse the liver with warm buffer one and ensure that the line inserted in the tube containing buffer one remains continuously submerged to avoid introducing air bubbles. While perfusion occurs, add 130 microliters of collagenase solution to buffer two, and mix by pipetting with a serological pipette.As the volume in the tube containing buffer one decreases to about five mL, slowly add five mL of buffer two to buffer one by pipetting on the side of the tube. Repeat the addition twice before adding the remaining buffer two to the tube. Stop the perfusion when about 5 to 10 mL of buffer two are left in the tube.Then excise the liver and transfer it to the 100-mL culture dish containing 20 mL of ice-cold buffer two. Under the laminar flow hood, gently break the liver tissue apart using surgical scissors and tweezers. Next add about 20 mL of ice-cold M199 buffer to the hepatocytes suspension and filter it through a 100-micron cell strainer using the plunger of a syringe to gently promote the release of additional hepatocytes from the larger liver pieces.Wash the 100-mL culture dish and the cell strainer with M199 buffer to collect the cell suspension until the collection tube is full. Then centrifuge the suspension at 50 x g for two minutes at four degrees Celsius. Aspirate the supernatant before resuspending the hepatocyte pellet in 30 mL of cold M199 by swirling.Repeat the wash once. Thaw the palmitic acid and bovine serum albumin, or BSA, solutions before preparing the substrate mixture for multiple reactions. Aliquot 13.5 microliters of BSA solution per reaction in a microcentrifuge tube.After warming the tube to 41 degrees Celsius, add one microliter of the 200 mM palmitic acid solution per reaction. Vortex the tube vigorously before and during incubation at 41 degrees Celsius for 20 to 30 minutes to facilitate the formation of the soluble palmitic acid-BSA complex. During this time, aliquot 133 microliters of 1 M of perchloric acid which will be used to stop the reactions in separate 1.5-mL microcentrifuge tubes.Before starting the reactions, aliquot and incubate 485.5 microliters of M199 buffer per reaction into a tube at 37 degrees Celsius to dilute the prepared radioactive BSA-palmitic acid complex. Next dispense 750 microliters of M199 with or without inhibitors in the separate 14-mL round bottom tubes as the samples. During the hepatocyte wash steps, 10 to 15 minutes before starting the reactions, transfer the tubes to a shaking water bath set to 37 degrees Celsius at 180 to 200 rotations per minute.If the viability of the hepatocytes is at least 75%complete the preparation of the substrate mix by transferring 0.8 microliters of carbon-14 palmitic acid per reaction to the microcentrifuge tube containing the clarified BSA-palmitic acid solution. Vortex before returning the tube to the water bath at 41 degrees Celsius. Immediately after the final hepatocyte resuspension, transfer 750 microliters of the hepatocyte suspension to each of the 14-mL round bottom tubes in the shaking water bath using a one mL pipette and vortex the tubes briefly at the low speed before transferring to an incubator, staggering each addition by 30 seconds.Transfer a separate aliquot of hepatocytes to a 1.5-mL microcentrifuge tube to spin at 3000 x g for five minutes. Remove the supernatant before storing the pellet at minus 80 degrees Celsius to measure the total amount of protein in the sample to normalize the results. While the hepatocytes are under pre-incubation at 37 degrees Celsius, add the radioactive BSA-palmitic acid complex to the warm medium to keep at 37 degrees Celsius until ready to start the reactions.To start the reactions, remove the hepatocytes from the water bath and add 500 microliters of the substrate mix to the hepatocytes. Vortex the cells at a low speed for five seconds before returning to the water bath to incubate for 15 minutes. Start a set of reactions and immediately stop to determine the background radioactivity.Transfer and set aside the duplicate aliquots of 200 to 250 microliters of the leftover substrate mix in 6-mL scintillation vials to perform the counting. To stop the reactions, remove the hepatocytes from the water bath to resuspend by vortexing at a moderate speed and then transfer 400 microliters of the hepatocyte suspension to the microcentrifuge tubes containing perchloric acid. Immediately cap and vortex the tubes before repeating the sequence for all the samples, staggering by 30 seconds.After spinning down the 1.5-mL microcentrifuge tubes at 13, 000 x g for 10 minutes, transfer 300 microliters of the supernatant to a 6-mL scintillation vial and add 4 mL of the scintillation fluid to count the radioactivity in the samples and the substrate mix aliquots in a scintillation counter. In the study, the liver perfusion yielded 30 to 40 million cells per liver, with average viability of 80%It was also observed that lowering the glucose concentration in the fasting group had no negative effect on the yield or viability of the hepatocytes. The hepatocyte suspension, isolated from fed and fasted male mice, were assayed for fatty acid beta-oxidation capacity in the presence and absence of etomoxir, a potent inhibitor of CPT1 and mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation.The counts per minute, or CPM, associated with the background radioactivity vary with the batch of palmitic acid. However, CPM was still significantly lower than the samples incubated with the substrate mix. The hepatocytes isolated from the fasted mice show a robust increase in the rates of both mitochondrial and peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation.The data was further studied to determine the rate at which palmitic acid is oxidized in the hepatocytes isolated from the fed and fasted mice. Prevent bubbles from entering the line. Keep the needle steady during the perfusion.Be gentle when handling the hepatocytes. Keep them in suspension when dispensing them. The hepatocytes isolated from this procedure can be used as a suspension to assay other metabolic pathways, such as fatty acid synthesis, or they can be plated for cell culture experiments.

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