title: Packed-bed type reactor to attain high density culture of hepatocytes for use as a bioartificial liver.
abstract: In an attempt to develop a bioartificial liver using cultured hepatocytes, we investigated the short-term and long-term viability and metabolic functions of hepatocytes cultured in a new type of packed-bed type reactor using reticulated polyvinyl formal (PVF) resin as a supporting material. Perfusion culture experiments using this reactor, as well as monolayer cultures using conventional collagen-coated Petri dishes as control experiments, were performed. It was found that the highest density of immobilized hepatocytes attained with PVF resin was on the order of 10(7) cells/cm3 PVF and that hepatocytes cultured in this type of module for up to a week showed a sufficient level of liver-specific metabolic functions, such as ammonium metabolism, urea-N synthesis, and albumin secretion, to be comparable to those in the monolayer culture. It is concluded that the packed-bed reactor system utilizing PVF resin is a promising means to develop a bioartificial organ using hepatocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba Science City, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohshima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yanagi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyoshi
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D019149:Bioreactors; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media / Q000032:analysis; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019164:Liver, Artificial; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012116:Resins, Plant; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003470:Culture Media; D012116:Resins, Plant; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D000410:Alanine Transaminase