A new three-dimensional culture system for hepatocytes using reticulated polyurethane.
Poly-N-para-vinylbenzyl-lactonamide (PVLA)-coated reticulated polyurethane (PVLA-RPU) has been employed for the long-term maintenance of primary rat hepatocyte cultures. After 3 days of incubation of 2 x 10(7) hepatocytes/cm3 embedded in PVLA-RPU discs and kept in culture medium, most cells showed typical hepatocyte morphology, with some bile canaliculus-like intercellular spaces among the hepatocytes on examination with scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The cells were attached to the surface of the PVLA-RPU and formed multicellular spheroids in the reticulated pores. The hepatocytes maintained various liver-specific functions such as albumin secretion, ammonium metabolism, urea synthesis and gluconeogenesis, and they were viable. The liver-specific functions could be maintained for more than 1 month when the cells were kept in the rats' peritoneal cavities. This new system may be useful as a bioreactor for an artificial liver.
Sato
Y
Y
Institute for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Osaka University, Japan.
Ochiya
T
T
Yasuda
Y
Y
Matsubara
K
K
D000418:Albumins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D005943:Gluconeogenesis; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007785:Lactose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011137:Polystyrenes; D011140:Polyurethanes; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D014508:Urea / Q000378:metabolism
D000418:Albumins; D003470:Culture Media; D011137:Polystyrenes; D011140:Polyurethanes; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D014508:Urea; C074112:poly-N-4-vinylbenzyllactonamide; D007785:Lactose