Abstract
A prototype of the artificial liver system was designed to use a spherical multicellular aggregates of adult hepatocytes (spheroid) that substitute for insufficient metabolism during hepatic failure. The spheroid, about 100μm in diameter, were formed by assembling of hepatocytes in the pores of polyurethane foam (PUF/three dimensional culture). Highly differentiated hepatic functions were maintained in the spheroid. These spheroids partly attached and immobilized in the pores of PUF. Then, we have designed a PUF/spheroids packed-bed culture system. Albumin and urea production activities of hepatocyte/spheroid immobilized in the PUF packed-bed were higher than those of usual hepatocyte/monolayer culture in petri dish, and these activities were maintained during 26 days. These results indicated that PUF/spheroid packed-bed culture system provided a promising prototype of hybrid type artificial liver system.
