Table 2.

Strategies to experimentally induce controlled apoptosis in primary hepatocyte cultures

Chemical induction of hepatocyte apoptosis

Fas antibodies/Fas ligand

TNFα

TRAIL

TGβ1/activin

Hydrophobic bile acids

Microbiological induction of hepatocyte apoptosis

HBV/HBX

HCV/HCV core protein

Miscellaneous induction of hepatocyte apoptosis

Conditioned medium

Omission of vital chemical factors

Hypoxia/reoxygenation

Ultraviolet light irradiation

HBV hepatitis B virus, HBX hepatitis B virus X protein, HCV hepatitis C virus, TGFβ1 transforming growth factor β1, TNFα tumour necrosis factor α, TRAIL tumour necrosis factor α-related apoptosis-inducing ligand