Effect of tertiary butylhydroperoxide-induced oxidative stress on glutathione content and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances production in cultures and co-cultures of adult rat hepatocytes

Abstract

The production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and the content of reduced glutathione (GSH) were determined in primary monolayer cultures of adult rat hepatocytes and in their co-cultures with rat epithelial cells, both exposed for 90 min to 2 mm tertiary butylhydroperoxide. Under these stress-induced conditions, TBARS production tended to be less increased in co-cultured cells than in conventionally cultured hepatocytes. A total depletion of GSH content was measured in conventional cultures from the third culture day, whereas in co-cultures a decrease in GSH content was observed until the third day of culture, followed by a low but constant GSH level that was maintained until the end of the culture period. Oxidative stress appears to be less pronounced in co-cultures than in conventional cultures; the former cope better with externally induced oxidative stress than do the latter.