title: Improved hepatocyte in vitro maintenance in a culture model with woven multicompartment capillary systems: electron microscopy studies.
abstract: Primary pig hepatocytes form a tissuelike structure in an in vitro culture model that has provision for three-dimensional cell orientation, cell aggregation, decentralized cell perfusion with low metabolite gradients, integral oxygenation, and nonparenchymal cell coculture. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has shown that hepatocytes spontaneously form aggregates in a three-dimensional structure between and on the surface of artificial capillaries. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has shown that after 7 weeks of in vitro perfusion, the cell ultrastructure remains similar to that of the parenchyma in vivo. Golgi complexes, active membrane processes, reorganization of cell junctions, and bile canaliculi-like intercellular spaces were demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Surgical Clinic, Universitätsklinikum Rudolf Virchow, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Gerlach
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schnoy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Encke
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neuhaus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001648:Bile Canaliculi / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002196:Capillaries; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003584:Cytological Techniques; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008099:Liver / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010477:Perfusion; D013552:Swine