抄録
The present experiment was designed to study whether isolated hepatocytes maintained their metabolic activity after cryopreservation. Isolated hepatocytes were obtained from rabbit and prepared by the collagenase digestive methods. The hepatocytes were preserved in a liquid nitrogen freezer at -196°C. The metabolic activity was examined by the incubation technique utilizing a shaker flask. After thawing, the recovery rate of hepatocytes was 50% and their viability was 35%. Some metabolic activities were observed even after storage at -196°C for two weeks. This supports the possibility of developing a hybrid artificial liver utilizing cryopreserved hepatocytes.
