title: Bilirubin, a physiological antioxidant, can improve cryopreservation of human hepatocytes.
abstract: The availability of cryopreserved hepatocytes is required for a more widespread use of hepatocyte transplantation, but human hepatocytes are easily damaged during freezing-thawing. Here, preincubation with unconjugated bilirubin, a physiological antioxidant, resulted in increased viability and function of hepatocytes (as determined by trypan blue exclusion, mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenases activity, urea synthesis, and cytochrome P450 1A/2) compared with cells incubated without the pigment. These findings suggest that unconjugated bilirubin may be used as cryoprotectant in clinical hepatocyte transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medicine, Ospedale Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Galbiati
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muraca
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Mitry
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lehec
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Puppi
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Sagias
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caruso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mieli-Vergani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dhawan
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005615:Freezing; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D009926:Organ Preservation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents; D001663:Bilirubin