Long-term culture of rat hepatocytes on porous membranes in hormonally defined serum-free medium.
Rat hepatocytes were cultured on type I collagen-coated porous membranes, in Waxman's modified medium supplemented with very low concentrations of insulin (10(-9)m), glucagon (10(-10)m) and dexamethasone (10(-8)m). Under these experimental conditions, specific differentiated functions were well preserved for at least 15 days, as shown by measures of albumin secretion, EROD and PROD activities, by phase contrast microscopy and PAS and ORO staining for intracellular glycogen and lipid contents. These results suggest that this experimental system may be very useful for long-term in vitro pharmacotoxicological studies.
Guery
C
C
Centre de Recherches Roussel UCLAF, Département de Toxicologie, 102 route de Noisy, 93230 Romainville, France.
Stepniewski
J P
JP
Vannier
B
B
Fournex
R
R
Lorenzon
G
G