INVESTIGATION OF OPTIMUM CULTURE CONDITION FOR HYBRID ARTIFICIAL LIVER MODULE USING PUFIPORCINE HEPATOCYTE SPHEROID CULTURE.

Abstract

In this study, we determined optimum culture condition of primary porcine hepatocytes for development of hybrid artificial liver using polyurethane foam (PUF) / spheroid culture. Optimum components of culture medium were investigated in stationary culture using PUF plate (25×25 × 1mm). Immobilized cell density and intracapillary medium velocity in multi-capillary (MC) PUF packed-bed module (volume: 18.8 cm³) were estimated in perfusion culture. As a result, porcine hepatocytes formed spheroid spontaneously and maintained ammonia metabolic activity in Williams'E medium supplemented with 10 to 20% PBS. And high activities of ammonia metabolism and albumin secretion were performed at the immobilized cell density of 1.0 × 10⁷ cells/cm³-module and at the intracapillary medium velocity in a range of 60 to 80 cm/min. This study provided optimum culture condition for hybrid artificial liver module using PUF/porcine hepatocyte spheroid culture.