title: Morphology of spheroidal hepatocytes within injectable, biodegradable, and thermosensitive poly(organophosphazene) hydrogel as cell delivery vehicle.
abstract: An aggregate of specific cells is often regarded as a better form of single-cell in artificial organs and mammalian cell bioreactors for improved cell-specific functions. In this study, freshly harvested primary rat hepatocytes, cultivated as spheroids and entrapped in a synthetic thermoreversible extracellular matrix, were examined for differentiation morphology and enhanced liver-specific functions and compared with a control set (single-cell hepatocytes). A copolymer of poly(organophsophazene) hydrogel, an injectable, biodegradable, and thermosensitive matrix, was used to entrap hepatocytes as spheroids or single cells. In a 28-d culture period, the spheroidal hepatocytes maintained a higher viability and produced albumin and urea at constant rates, whereas the single hepatocytes showed a reduction in the level of albumin secretion in the hydrogel. The culturing of spheroidal hepatocytes is a potentially useful three-dimensional cell system for application in bioartificial liver devices and bioreactors.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Pochon CHA University, Cell and Gene Therapy Research Institute 605, Yeoksam 1-dong, Kangnam-gu, Seoul 135-081, Korea.
authors.forename: Keun-Hong
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Soo Chang
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000378:metabolism; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D019164:Liver, Artificial; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular; D014508:Urea / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D011108:Polymers; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D014508:Urea; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase