Isolation and culture of intrahepatic biliary epithelial cells from the normal rat liver

Abstract

A method for the isolation and culture of intrahepatic biliary epithelial cells from the normal rat liver was developed. The rat liver was perfused with collagenase solution, and further digested with collagenase and trypsin salutian. Cells obtained by the centrifugation with Percall gradients were cultured on collagen-caated dishes or collagen-gel. After one day in culture, mare than 80% of the cells were positive by the stain for γ-GTP that those cells were derived from biliary epithelial cells. Cultured biliary cells formed a lumen and junctional complexes between cells. Cells cultured on collagen-gel were more similar to the biliary cells in situ than cells on collagen-caated dishes.