Resurgence of glycogen synthesis and storage capacity in cultured hepatoma cells

Abstract This paper describes a new cultured hepatoma cell line referred as ZHC cells, derived from the ascitic Zajdela rat hepatoma. Since 1963, the dedifferenciated in vivo transplanted ascitic cells were characterized by the absence of glycogen as is generally the case in all fast growing hepatic tumors. In 1974, we succeeded in adapting these tumor cells to in vitro defined growth conditions, where we observed the progressive recovery of the ability to synthesize and to store large amounts of glycogen, as shown by histochemical, ultrastructural and biochemical studies. It can now be considered as an established cell line in which the reverted phenotype has been stable for 3 years.