Effects of triglyceride accumulation on induction of urea synthesis by glucagon and dexamethasone in monolayer cultures of bovine hepatocytes

Hepatocyte monolayer cultures from two preruminating and two ruminating calves were used to study the effects of triglyceride accumulation on induction of ureagenesis by glucagon plus dexamethasone. Whether hepatocytes from preruminating and ruminating calves respond similarly to triglyceride accumulation and hormonal treatment was also determined. Hepatocyte monolayer cultures were incubated from 24 to 48 h with a physiological mixture of nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA, 0 or 1.5 mM) and a hormone mixture containing glucagon plus dexamethasone (0 or 100 nM of both) added as a 2 x 2 factorial (NEFA x hormones). Ureagenesis was measured at 0, .25, and 5 mM NH4Cl from 48 to 51 h and activities of ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) and arginase were measured at 48 h. There was no significant age-related interaction for any of the measurements. Therefore, monolayer culture of hepatocytes from preruminating calves provides a reasonable model for studying the effects of glucagon, dexamethasone, and triglyceride accumulation on ureagenesis in the ruminating bovine. Intracellular triglyceride was increased by NEFA (2.3 vs 15.6 +/- 1.9 microg TG/microg DNA, P < .001). Triglyceride-engorged cells exhibited decreased ureagenesis (1.04 vs .87 +/- .135 nmol/(microg DNA x h), P < .05) but had unaltered OTC and arginase activity. Hormone addition did not affect triglyceride accumulation but increased ureagenesis (.70 vs 1.21 +/- .135 nmol/(microg DNA x h), P < .0001). There was no interaction between hormone addition and triglyceride accumulation on ureagenesis. To separate the effects of dexamethasone from that of glucagon on ureagenesis, hepatocyte monolayer cultures from one ruminating and three preruminating calves were used. Hepatocyte monolayer cultures were incubated from 24 to 48 h with glucagon (0 or 100 nM) and dexamethasone (0 or 100 nM) added as a 2 x 2 factorial. Ureagenesis was measured at 0, .25, and 5 mM NH4Cl from 48 to 51 h. Glucagon increased ureagenesis (.77 vs 1.24 +/- .11 nmol/(microg DNA x h), P < .0001). Dexamethasone did not affect ureagenesis, nor was there any interaction between glucagon and dexamethasone. Therefore, glucagon alone was responsible for the induction observed with the mixture of glucagon and dexamethasone. In conclusion, glucagon is able to increase ureagenesis in bovine hepatocytes, and triglyceride accumulation does not interfere with the induction.