title: Three-dimensional culture of porcine fetal liver cells for a bioartificial liver.
abstract: A three-dimensional (3-D) culture experiment of porcine fetal liver cells (FLCs) was performed using a porous resin substrate, for the purpose of developing a bioartificial liver. A long-term 3-D culture and monolayer culture as the control were performed for more than 1 month. To promote cell growth and maturation, human oncostatin M (OSM), the human leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), or cortisol was added to the cultures, and the effect of each agent on cell proliferation and liver-specific cellular functions was investigated. The cell numbers in both the monolayer and 3-D cultures increased gradually with time, irrespective of the supplementation of the stimulating agents. In the monolayer culture, the albumin secretion of FLCs decreased rapidly, and scarce activity was detected from 2 weeks onward under all culture conditions tested. In the 3-D cultures, neither human OSM nor human LIF had any definite effect on the albumin secretion of FLCs. However, in the cultures with cortisol, albumin secretion was maintained for a considerably long period. These findings suggest that a bioartificial liver can be developed by culturing porcine FLCs with cortisol as the stimulant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ehashi
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohshima
authors.forename: Hirotoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyoshi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D019164:Liver, Artificial; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D053683:Oncostatin M; D013552:Swine; D014508:Urea / Q000378:metabolism; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D016207:Cytokines; D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D015850:Interleukin-6; C507837:LIF protein, human; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; C508351:OSM protein, human; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D053683:Oncostatin M; D014508:Urea; D006854:Hydrocortisone