Measurements of sugar pinocytosis (fluid-phase endocytosis of radiolabelled sucrose, lactose and raffinose) in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes are disturbed by sugar diffusing into the cells through plasma-membrane blebs. Non-pinocytic entry may be even more pronounced at 0 degrees C, and is a major contributor to ‘background’ radioactivity. By electrodisruption of the plasma membrane, a distinction can be made between pinocytotically sequestered sugar and free sugar that has entered the cytosol by diffusion. Pinocytosis proceeds at a rate of 2%/h (relative to the intracellular fluid volume), whereas the rate of sucrose entry by diffusion is more than twice as high. Three pinocytotic compartments are distinguishable in isolated hepatocytes: (1) a rapidly recycling compartment, which is completely destroyed by electrodisruption, and which may represent pinocytic channels continuous with the plasma membrane; (2) a non-recycling (or very slowly recycling) electrodisruption-resistant compartment, which allows accumulation of the lysosomally hydrolysable sugar lactose, and which therefore must represent non-lysosomal vacuoles (endosomes?); (3) a lysosomal compartment (non-recycling, electrodisruption-resistant), which accumulates raffinose and sucrose, but which hydrolyses lactose. The last two compartments can be partially resolved in metrizamide/sucrose density gradients by the use of different sugar probes.
Fluid phase endocytosis by cultured rat hepatocytes and perfused rat liver: implications for plasma membrane turnover and vesicular trafficking of fluid phase markers.