MYOINOSITOL UPTAKE BY RAT HEPATOCYTES INVITRO

Myoinositol uptake by rat hepatocytes in vitro was studied. Adult rat hepatocytes were prepared by digestion of the perfused liver with collagenase. Cell suspensions were incubated with tritium‐labeled myoinositol in pH 7.4 Krebs bicarbonate solution containing 1% gelatin at 37°. 14C‐Carbon‐labeled polyethylene glycol was used as a marker of adherent extracellular fluid volume. Myoinositol uptake was demonstrable after 5 min of incubation, but no intracellular concentration in excess of that in the incubation medium was observed after 60 min of incubation. Uptake saturation over a wide myoinositol concentration range could not be demonstrated. Neither the omission of sodium ions nor the inclusion of ouabain suppressed the distribution ratio significantly. Metabolic inhibitors and lower temperatures also showed no effect. Hexoses, phlorizin or mannitol, exerted no observable effect on myoinositol uptake. The results indicated that myoinositol uptake by rat hepatocytes is probably a passive process. Copyright © 1979 Wiley‐Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company