Abstract
In order to develop hybrid artificial liver based on cultured hepatocytes, it is necessary to establish high cell-density culture system which has highly differentiated functions and longevity. We found that hepatocytes attached on PVLA ( poly-N-p-vinylbenzyl-D-lactonamide), a synthetic polymer of asialoglycoprotein model, remarkably formed multilayer aggregations which expressed highly differentiated functions and longevity. In this study, we attempted to culture adult rat hepatocytes on PVLA-coated hollow fibers in perfusion culture module. Hepatocytes attached on PVLA-coated hollow fibers in the module formed multilayer aggregations which was high cell-density. Hepatocytes in the multilayer aggregations on PVLA-coated hollow fibers exhibited a better maintenance of differentiated functions such as the secretion of albumin, ureogenesis and activity of ammonia removal than those in the monolayer culture on collagen-coated follow fibers. Hepatocyte culture system using PVLA-coated hollow fibers in perfusion culture module has useful advantages for the development of hybrid artificial liver.
