title: Evaluation of diffusion in gel entrapment cell culture within hollow fibers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate diffusion in mammalian cell culture by gel entrapment within hollow fibers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Freshly isolated rat hepatocytes or human oral epidermoid carcinoma (KB) cells were entrapped in type I collagen solutions and statically cultured inside microporous and ultrafiltration hollow fibers. During the culture time collagen gel contraction, cell viability and specific function were assessed. Effective diffusion coefficients of glucose in cell-matrix gels were determined by lag time analysis in a diffusion cell.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant gel contractions occurred in the collagen gels by entrapment of either viable hepatocytes or KB cells. And the gel contraction caused a significant reduction on effective diffusion coefficient of glucose. The cell viability assay of both hepatocytes and KB cells statically cultured in hollow fibers by collagen entrapment further confirmed the existence of the inhibited mass transfer by diffusion. Urea was secreted about 50% more by hepatocytes entrapped in hollow fibers with pore size of 0.1 mum than that in hollow fibers with MWCO of 100 ku.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cell-matrix gel and membrane pore size are the two factors relevant to the limited mass transfer by diffusion in such gel entrapment of mammalian cell culture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Biochemical Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou 310027, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Dan-Qing
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Guo-Liang
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Meng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; D018914:Cells, Immobilized; D003094:Collagen; D004058:Diffusion; D015194:Diffusion Chambers, Culture / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005782:Gels; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms; D011108:Polymers; D051381:Rats; D013450:Sulfones; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D011108:Polymers; D013450:Sulfones; C017662:polysulfone P 1700; D003094:Collagen