Differential regulation of glucose transporter 1 and 2 mRNA expression by epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor-beta in rat hepatocytes

We have examined by Northern blot analysis the expression of two members of the glucose transporter family of genes (GLUT‐1 and GLUT‐2) in regenerating liver and in hepatocytes cultured under various conditions. GLUT‐1, although thought to be a growth‐associated gene, is not expressed in normal or regenerating liver, whereas GLUT‐2, a liver‐specific gene, is abundant in normal liver and gradually up‐regulated during liver regeneration. Conversely, in hepatocytes cultured conventionally on dried rat tail collagen (RTC) in the presence of EGF and insulin, which potentiate proliferation, GLUT‐1 mRNA is rapidly and abundantly expressed, whereas GLUT‐2 is depressed. To investigate the causes of this “switch” in glucose transporter expression seen when hepatocytes are removed from the liver and cultured under the conventional proliferative conditions, we examined the effects of specific growth factors and extracellular matrices on cultured hepatocytes. EGF, a potent liver mitogen, although causing a threefold induction of GLUT‐1, was found to have no effect on GLUT‐2 expression, suggesting that the increase in GLUT‐2 seen in regenerating liver is not due to EGF. Inhibition of protein synthesis by cycloheximide in cultured hepatocytes does not prevent the induction of GLUT‐1 mRNA. In addition, treatment of cells with cycloheximide appears to stabilize the GLUT‐2 mRNA, preventing the usual down‐regulation of this gene in cultured hepatocvtes. The expression of the two glucose transporter mRNAs also differed when the hepatocytes were adherent to particular cell matrices. Culture of hepatocytes on a reconstituted basement membrane gel matrix (EHS) is known to restrain their growth and mediate high levels of differentiated hepatocytic functions that are lost under conventional culture conditions. Unlike cells on RTC, hepatocytes on EHS expressed low levels of GLUT‐1 mRNA, and decreased GLUT‐2 mRNA. TGF‐β, an attenuator of DNA synthesis, when added to cultures on RTC, substantially down‐regulated GLUT‐2 but had no effect on GLUT‐1. We propose that the effectors, EGF, TGF‐β and basement membrane components, play a significant role in the regulation of expression of GLUT‐1 and GLUT‐2 in hepatocytes. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.