The effect of natural extracellular matrix deposited on synthetic polymers on cultured primary hepatocytes

3D bioprinting of dECM-incorporated hepatocyte spheroid for simultaneous promotion of cell-cell and -ECM interactions

The cell spheroid technology, which greatly enhances cell-cell interactions, has gained significant attention in the development of in vitro liver models. However, existing cell spheroid technologies still have limitations in improving hepatocyte-extracellular matrix (ECM) interaction, which have a significant impact on hepatic function. In this study, we have developed a novel bioprinting technology for decellularized ECM (dECM)-incorporated hepatocyte spheroids that could enhance both cell-cell and -ECM interactions simultaneously. To provide a biomimetic environment, a porcine liver dECM-based cell bio-ink was developed, and a spheroid printing process using this bio-ink was established. As a result, we precisely printed the dECM-incorporated hepatocyte spheroids with a diameter of approximately 160-220 μm using primary mouse hepatocyte (PMHs). The dECM materials were uniformly distributed within the bio-printed spheroids, and even after more than 2 weeks of culture, the spheroids maintained their spherical shape and high viability. The incorporation of dECM also significantly improved the hepatic function of hepatocyte spheroids. Compared to hepatocyte-only spheroids, dECM-incorporated hepatocyte spheroids showed approximately 4.3- and 2.5-fold increased levels of albumin and urea secretion, respectively, and a 2.0-fold increase in CYP enzyme activity. These characteristics were also reflected in the hepatic gene expression levels of ALB, HNF4A, CPS1, and others. Furthermore, the dECM-incorporated hepatocyte spheroids exhibited up to a 1.8-fold enhanced drug responsiveness to representative hepatotoxic drugs such as acetaminophen, celecoxib, and amiodarone. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the dECM-incorporated spheroid printing technology has great potential for the development of highly functional in vitro liver tissue models for drug toxicity assessment.

Assessing the biocompatibility of bovine tendon scaffold, a step forward in tendon tissue engineering

Tendon is a collagen-enriched, tough, and intricately arranged connective tissue that connects muscle to the bone and transmits forces, resulting in joint movement. High mechanical demands can affect normal tissues and may lead to severe disorders, which usually require replacement of the damaged tendon. In recent decades, various decellularization methods have been studied for tissue engineering applications. One of the major challenges in tendon decellularization is preservation of the tendon extracellular matrix (ECM) architecture to maintain natural tissue characteristics. The aim of the present study was to create a decellularized bovine Achilles tendon scaffold to investigate its cytocompatibility with seeded hAd-MSCs (human adipose derived-mesenchymal stem cells) and blastema tissue in vitro. Here, we describe a reliable procedure to decellularize bovine Achilles tendon using a combination of physical and chemical treatments including repetitive freeze-thaw cycles and the ionic detergent SDS, respectively. The decellularization effectiveness and cytocompatibility of the tendon scaffolds were verified by histological studies and scanning electron microscopy for up to 30 days after culture. Histological studies revealed hAd-MSC attachment and penetration into the scaffolds at 5, 10, 15 and 20 days of culture. However, a decrease in cell number was observed on days 25 and 30 after culture in vitro. Moreover, migration of the blastema tissue cells into the scaffold were shown at 10 to 25 days post culture, however, destruction of the scaffolds and reduction in cell number were observed on 30th day after culture. Our results suggest that this decellularization protocol is an effective and biocompatible procedure which supports the maintenance and growth of both hAd-MSCs and blastema cells, and thus might be promising for tendon tissue engineering.

Frequently used strategies to isolate ECM proteins from human placenta and adipose tissue

BACKGROUND

The natural extracellular matrix (ECM) provides the optimal environment for cells. Many enzymatic or non-enzymatic based strategies to extract ECM proteins from tissues were published over the last years. However, every single isolation strategy reported so far is associated with specific bottlenecks. Experiment: In this study, frequently used strategies to isolate extracellular matrix (ECM) from human placenta or adipose tissue using Tris-, serum, or pepsin-based buffers were compared. The resulting ECM proteins were biochemically characterized by analysis of cellular remnants using HOECHST DNA staining, glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content by dimethylemethylene blue (DMMB), visualization of protein bands using SDS PAGE analysis combined with amino acid quantification and assessment of the pro-angiogenic profile using an angiogenesis array.

RESULTS

Tris-NaCl extracted ECM proteins showed a high heterogenic degree of extracted proteins, bioactive growth factors and GAGS, but no collagen-I. Active serum extracted ECM showed significant lower DNA remnants when compared to the Tris-NaCl isolation strategy. Pepsin-extracted ECM was rich in collagen-I and low amounts of remaining bioactive growth factors. This strategy was most effective to reduce DNA amounts when compared to the other isolation strategies. Pepsin-extracted ECM from both tissues easily gelled at 37°C, whereas the other extracted ECM strategies did not gel at 37°C (Tris-NaCl: liquid; serum: sponge).

CONCLUSIONS

All relevant characteristics (DNA residues, ECM diversity and bioactivity, shape) of the extracted ECM proteins highly depend on its isolation strategy and could still be optimized.

Impact of Donor Age on the Osteogenic Supportive Capacity of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Extracellular Matrix

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) have been proposed as an emerging cell-based therapeutic option for regenerative medicine applications as these cells can promote tissue and organ repair. In particular, MSC have been applied for the treatment of bone fractures. However, the healing capacity of these fractures is often compromised by patient's age. Therefore, considering the use of autologous MSC, we evaluated the impact of donor age on the osteogenic potential of bone marrow (BM)-derived MSC. MSC from older patients (60 and 80 years old) demonstrated impaired proliferative and osteogenic capacities compared to MSC isolated from younger patients (30 and 45 years old), suggesting that aging potentially changes the quantity and quality of MSC. Moreover, in this study, we investigated the capacity of the microenvironment [i.e., extracellular matrix (ECM)] to rescue the impaired proliferative and osteogenic potential of aged MSC. In this context, we aimed to understand if BM MSC features could be modulated by exposure to an ECM derived from cells obtained from young or old donors. When aged MSC were cultured on decellularized ECM derived from young MSC, their in vitro proliferative and osteogenic capacities were enhanced, which did not happen when cultured on old ECM. Our results suggest that the microenvironment, specifically the ECM, plays a crucial role in the quality (assessed in terms of osteogenic differentiation capacity) and quantity of MSC. Specifically, the aging of ECM is determinant of osteogenic differentiation of MSC. In fact, old MSC maintained on a young ECM produced higher amounts of extracellularly deposited calcium (9.10 ± 0.22 vs. 4.69 ± 1.41 μg.μl-1.10-7 cells for young ECM and old ECM, respectively) and up-regulated the expression of osteogenic gene markers such as Runx2 and OPN. Cell rejuvenation by exposure to a functional ECM might be a valuable clinical strategy to overcome the age-related decline in the osteogenic potential of MSC by recapitulating a younger microenvironment, attenuating the effects of aging on the stem cell niche. Overall, this study provides new insights on the osteogenic potential of MSC during aging and opens new possibilities for developing clinical strategies for elderly patients with limited bone formation capacity who currently lack effective treatments.

Cultured cell-derived extracellular matrices to enhance the osteogenic differentiation and angiogenic properties of human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells

Cell-derived extracellular matrix (ECM) consists of a complex assembly of fibrillary proteins, matrix macromolecules, and associated growth factors that mimic the composition and organization of native ECM micro-environment. Therefore, cultured cell-derived ECM has been used as a scaffold for tissue engineering settings to create a biomimetic micro-environment, providing physical, chemical, and mechanical cues to cells, and support cell adhesion, proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Here, we present a new strategy to produce different combinations of decellularized cultured cell-derived ECM (dECM) obtained from different cultured cell types, namely, mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), as well as the coculture of MSC:HUVEC and investigate the effects of its various compositions on cell metabolic activity, osteogenic differentiation, and angiogenic properties of human bone marrow (BM)-derived MSCs, vital features for adult bone tissue regeneration and repair. Our findings demonstrate that dECM presented higher cell metabolic activity compared with tissue culture polystyrene. More importantly, we show that MSC:HUVEC ECM enhanced the osteogenic and angiogenic potential of BM MSCs, as assessed by in vitro assays. Interestingly, MSC:HUVEC (1:3) ECM demonstrated the best angiogenic response of MSCs in the conditions tested. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrates that dECM derived from a coculture of MSC:HUVEC impacts the osteogenic and angiogenic capabilities of BM MSCs, suggesting the potential use of MSC:HUVEC ECM as a therapeutic product to improve clinical outcomes in bone regeneration.

Fabrication and characterization of extracellular matrix scaffolds obtained from adipose-derived stem cells

Chronic non-healing wounds are detrimental for the quality of life of the affected individuals and represent a major burden for the health care systems. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are being investigated for the development of novel treatments of chronic wounds, as they have shown several positive effects on wound healing. While these effects appear to be mediated by the release of soluble factors, it is has also become apparent that the extracellular matrix (ECM) deposited by ASCs is essential in several phases of the wound healing process. In this work, we describe an approach to produce ECM scaffolds derived from ASCs in culture. Upon growth of ASCs into an overconfluent cell layer, a detergent-based cell extraction approach is applied to remove the cellular components. The extraction is followed by an enzymatic treatment to remove the residual DNA. The resultant cell-derived scaffolds are depleted of cellular components, display low DNA remnant, and retain the native fibrillar organization of the ECM. Analysis of the molecular composition of the ECM scaffolds revealed that they are composed of collagens type I and III, and fibronectin. The decellularized scaffolds represent a substrate that supports adhesion and proliferation of primary human fibroblasts and dermal microvascular endothelial cells, indicating their potential as platforms for wound healing studies.

Characterization of Initial Cell Adhesion on Charged Polymer Substrates in Serum-Containing and Serum-Free Media

Charged substrates are expected to promote cell adhesion via electrostatic interaction, but it remains unclear how cells adhere to these substrates. Here, initial cell adhesion (<30 min) was re-examined on charged substrates in serum-containing and serum-free media to distinguish among various cell adhesion mechanisms (i.e., electrostatic interaction, hydrophobic interaction, and biological interaction). Cationic and anionic methacrylate copolymers were coated on nonionic nontissue culture-treated polystyrene to create charged substrates. Cells adhered similarly on cationic, anionic, and nonionic substrates in serum-free medium via integrin-independent mechanisms, but their adhesion forces differed (anionic > cationic > nonionic substrates), indicating that cell adhesion is not mediated solely by the cells' negative charge. In serum-containing medium, the cells adhered minimally on anionic and nonionic substrates, but they adhered abundantly on cationic substrates via both integrin-dependent and -independent mechanisms. These results suggest that neither electrostatic force nor protein adsorption is accountable for cell adhesion. Conclusively, the observed phenomena revealed a gap in the generally accepted understanding of cell adhesion mechanisms on charged polymeric substrates. A reanalysis of their mechanisms is necessary.

Cultured cell-derived decellularized matrices: a review towards the next decade

Summary of recent progress in cell-derived decellularized matrices preparation and application, with perspectives towards the next decade.

ECM proteins in a microporous scaffold influence hepatocyte morphology, function, and gene expression

It is well known that a three-dimensional (3D) culture environment and the presence of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins facilitate hepatocyte viability and maintenance of the liver-specific phenotype in vitro. However, it is not clear whether specific ECM components such as collagen or fibronectin differentially regulate such processes, especially in 3D scaffolds. In this study, a series of ECM-functionalized inverted colloidal crystal (ICC) microporous scaffolds were fabricated and their influence on Huh-7.5 cell proliferation, morphology, hepatic-specific functions, and patterns of gene expression were compared. Both collagen and fibronectin promoted albumin production and liver-specific gene expression of Huh-7.5 cells, compared with the bare ICC scaffold. Interestingly, cells in the fibronectin-functionalized scaffold exhibited different aggregation patterns to those in the collagen-functionalized scaffold, a variation that could be related to the distinct mRNA expression levels of cell adhesion-related genes. Based on these results, we can conclude that different ECM proteins, such as fibronectin and collagen, indeed play distinct roles in the phenotypic regulation of cells cultured in a 3D environment.

Decellularized Extracellular Matrix as an In Vitro Model to Study the Comprehensive Roles of the ECM in Stem Cell Differentiation

Stem cells are a promising cell source for regenerative medicine. Stem cell differentiation must be regulated for applications in regenerative medicine. Stem cells are surrounded by extracellular matrix (ECM) in vivo. The ECM is composed of many types of proteins and glycosaminoglycans that assemble into a complex structure. The assembly of ECM molecules influences stem cell differentiation through orchestrated intracellular signaling activated by many ECM molecules. Therefore, it is important to understand the comprehensive role of the ECM in stem cell differentiation as well as the functions of the individual ECM molecules. Decellularized ECM is a useful in vitro model for studying the comprehensive roles of ECM because it retains a native-like structure and composition. Decellularized ECM can be obtained from in vivo tissue ECM or ECM fabricated by cells cultured in vitro. It is important to select the correct decellularized ECM because each type has different properties. In this review, tissue-derived and cell-derived decellularized ECMs are compared as in vitro ECM models to examine the comprehensive roles of the ECM in stem cell differentiation. We also summarize recent studies using decellularized ECM to determine the comprehensive roles of the ECM in stem cell differentiation.

Blood-Compatible Polymer for Hepatocyte Culture with High Hepatocyte-Specific Functions toward Bioartificial Liver Development

The development of bioartificial liver (BAL) is expected because of the shortage of donor liver for transplantation. The substrates for BAL require the following criteria: (a) blood compatibility, (b) hepatocyte adhesiveness, and (c) the ability to maintain hepatocyte-specific functions. Here, we examined blood-compatible poly(2-methoxyethyl acrylate) (PMEA) and poly(tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate) (PTHFA) (PTHFA) as the substrates for BAL. HepG2, a human hepatocyte model, could adhere on PMEA and PTHFA substrates. The spreading of HepG2 cells was suppressed on PMEA substrates because integrin contribution to cell adhesion on PMEA substrate was low and integrin signaling was not sufficiently activated. Hepatocyte-specific gene expression in HepG2 cells increased on PMEA substrate, whereas the expression decreased on PTHFA substrates due to the nuclear localization of Yes-associated protein (YAP). These results indicate that blood-compatible PMEA is suitable for BAL substrate. Also, PMEA is expected to be used to regulate cell functions for blood-contacting tissue engineering.

Optimization of the tissue source, malignancy, and initial substrate of tumor cell-derived matrices to increase cancer cell chemoresistance against 5-fluorouracil

The low chemoresistance of in vitro cancer cells inhibits the development of new anti-cancer drugs. Thus, development of a new in vitro culture system is required to increase the chemoresistance of in vitro cancer cells. Tumor cell-derived matrices have been reported to increase the chemoresistance of in vitro cancer cells. However, it remains unclear how tissue sources and the malignancy of cells used for the preparation of matrices affect the chemoresistance of tumor cell-derived matrices. Moreover, it remains unclear how the initial substrates used for the preparation of matrices affect the chemoresistance. In this study, we compared the effects of tissue sources and the malignancy of tumor cells, as well as the effect of the initial substrates on chemoresistance against 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The chemoresistance of breast and colon cancer cells against 5-FU increased on matrices prepared with cells derived from the corresponding original tissues with higher malignancy. Moreover, the chemoresistance against 5-FU was altered on matrices prepared using different initial substrates that exhibited different characteristics of protein adsorption. Taken together, these results indicated that the appropriate selection of tissue sources, malignancy of tumor cells, and initial substrates used for matrix preparation is important for the preparation of tumor cell-derived matrices for chemoresistance assays.

Absence of feedback regulation in the synthesis of COL1A1

AIM

Recent studies have emphasized the importance of the extracellular microenvironment in modulating cell growth, motility, and signalling. In this study we have evaluated the ability of a fibroblast derived-extracellular matrix (fd-ECM) to regulate type I collagen synthesis and degradation in fibroblasts.

MAIN METHODS

Fibroblasts were plated on plastic (control) or on fd-ECM and type I collagen synthesis and degradation was evaluated. MTT, western blotting, real time PCR, zymographic analysis and inhibitor assays were utilised to investigate the molecular mechanism of type I collagen regulation by the fd-ECM.

KEY FINDINGS

Fibroblasts plated on fd-ECM showed significant downregulation in the production of type I collagen and COL1A2 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) whilst COL1A1 mRNA remained unchanged. Cells grown on fd-ECM exhibited increased matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) and their corresponding mRNAs. The use of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and MMP inhibitors showed that the excess COL1A1 polypeptide chains were degraded by the combined action of MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-9 and cathepsins.

SIGNIFICANCE

These results show the crucial role played by proteases in regulating extracellular matrix protein levels in the feedback regulation of connective tissue gene expression.

Three-dimensional culture of hepatocytes on porcine liver tissue-derived extracellular matrix

There is currently no optimal system to expand and maintain the function of human adult hepatocytes in culture. Recent studies have demonstrated that specific tissue-derived extracellular matrix (ECM) can serve as a culture substrate and that cells tend to proliferate and differentiate best on ECM derived from their tissue of origin. The goal of this study was to investigate whether three-dimensional (3D) ECM derived from porcine liver can facilitate the growth and maintenance of physiological functions of liver cells. Optimized decellularization/oxidation procedures removed up to 93% of the cellular components from porcine liver tissue and preserved key molecular components in the ECM, including collagen-I, -III, and -IV, proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans, fibronectin, elastin, and laminin. When HepG2 cells or human hepatocytes were seeded onto ECM discs, uniform multi-layer constructs of both cell types were formed. Dynamic culture conditions yielded better cellular infiltration into the ECM discs. Human hepatocytes cultured on ECM discs expressed significantly higher levels of albumin over a 21-day culture period compared to cells cultured in traditional polystyrene cultureware or in a collagen gel "sandwich". The culture of hepatocytes on 3D liver-specific ECM resulted in considerably improved cell growth and maintained cell function; therefore, this system could potentially be used in liver tissue regeneration, drug discovery or toxicology studies.

Decellularized matrices for tissue engineering

IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD

Biomimetic scaffolds and substrates of extracellular matrices (ECMs) play an important role in the regulation of cell function and in the guidance of new tissue regeneration, as an ECM has the intrinsic cues necessary to communicate with and dictate to cells.

AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW

This paper reviews the latest developments in ECM scaffolds and substrates obtained from decellularized tissues, organs or cultured cells and their application in tissue engineering. The ECM composition, structure, interaction with surrounding cells, preparation method and usage in the regeneration of various tissues and organs are summarised.

WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN

The advantages and challenges of decellularized matrices are highlighted.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

Similarity in the composition, microstructure and biomechanical properties of the decellularized scaffolds and substrates to those of the native tissues and organs maximizes the promotion effect in the regeneration of both structural and functional tissues and organs. Simple tissues as well as complicated organs have been decellularized and decellularization methods have been optimized to completely remove the cellular components while keeping the ECM intact.

Citocompatibilidade de blendas de poli(p-dioxanona)/ poli(hidroxi butirato) (PPD/PHB) para aplicações em engenharia de tecido cartilaginoso

Buscando estratégias que repercutam na melhoria da interação entre materiais poliméricos biorreabsorvíveis e o crescimento celular, o presente estudo in vitro teve como objetivo estudar a influência de blendas de PPD/PHB na adesão celular e crescimento de fibrocondrócitos obtidos a partir de cultura primária. As blendas de PPD/PHB foram preparadas pelo método de evaporação de solvente nas composições 100/0, 60/40 e 50/50 e caracterizadas por microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). Observações ultra-estruturais mostraram alterações na morfologia celular, sugerindo que os fibrocondrócitos podem responder a alterações no substrato alterando seu perfil fenotípico. As análises com MTT demonstraram que as blendas não apresentaram citotoxicidade e permitiram a adesão e proliferação dos fibrocondrócitos sobre os substratos em todas as suas composições. O ensaio colorimétrico com Sirius Red evidenciou a capacidade de manutenção da síntese de matriz extracelular colágena sobre as amostras, concluindo-se que as blendas de PPD/PHB podem ser indicadas para o cultivo celular.

Stem cells and liver repair

The liver has considerable inherent regenerative capacity through hepatocyte division and hepatic progenitor cell proliferation. In chronic disease regeneration eventually fails and liver transplantation is the only curative treatment. Current work aims to restore liver mass and functionality either through transplantation of stem cell derived hepatocyte-like cells or by stimulating endogenous liver repair. Human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and adult somatic cells can be differentiated into hepatocyte-like cells with potential use in drug testing, bio-artificial livers and transplantation. These cells still have some limitations in functionality, understanding further human liver development and improving tissue culture is required. The use of stem cells and their progeny in animal models of liver disease has been encouraging and stimulated clinical trials to commence.

Mechanically strong double network photocrosslinked hydrogels from N,N-dimethylacrylamide and glycidyl methacrylated hyaluronan

Hyaluronan (HA) is a natural polysaccharide abundant in biological tissues and it can be modified to prepare biomaterials. In this work, HA modified with glycidyl methacrylate was photocrosslinked to form the first network (PHA), and then a series of highly porous PHA/N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DAAm) hydrogels (PHA/DAAm) with high mechanical strength were obtained by incorporating a second network of photocrosslinked DAAm into PHA network. Due to the synergistic effect produced by double network (DN) structure, despite containing 90% of water, the resulting PHA/DAAm hydrogel showed a compressive modulus and a fracture stress over 0.5 MPa and 5.2 MPa, respectively. Compared to the photocrosslinked hyaluronan single network hydrogel, which is generally very brittle and fractures easily, the PHA/DAAm hydrogels are ductile. Mouse dermal fibroblast was used as a model cell line to validate in vitro non-cytotoxicity of the PHA/DAAm hydrogels. Cells deposited extracellular matrix on the surface of these hydrogels and this was confirmed by positive staining of Type I collagen by Sirius Red. The PHA/DAAm hydrogels were also resistant to biodegradation and largely retained their excellent mechanical properties even after 2 months of co-culturing with fibroblasts.

Different regulation of hepatocyte behaviors between natural extracellular matrices and synthetic extracellular matrices by hepatocyte growth factor

The roles of growth factors and extracellular matrices (ECMs) in regulation of hepatocyte behaviors are very important for the establishment of liver-tissue engineering. Especially, collaboration between growth factors and ECMs is a big concern for liver-tissue engineering. In this study, the hepatocyte responses by hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were compared between natural ECMs and a synthetic galactose-carrying polymer: poly(N-p-vinylbenzyl-4-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-D-gluconamide) (PVLA). Hepatocytes underwent proliferation on type I collagen- and fibronectin-coated surfaces in the presence of HGF, whereas hepatocytes formed spheroid on laminin-1-, PVLA-, and poly-L-lysine (PLL)-coated surfaces in the presence of HGF without the activation of proliferation. HGF accelerated ECM deposition, especially laminin-10/11, beneath the hepatocytes cultured on PVLA- and PLL-coated surfaces and the deposited laminin-10/11 activated integrin signaling to collaborate with HGF signaling. Therefore, the deposited ECM molecules should be focused to clear the mechanism of hepatocyte behaviors in the presence of HGF.

Hepatocytes maintain their function on basement membrane formed by epithelial cells

To establish liver tissue engineering, the effective substratum for hepatocytes culture should be developed. Up to now, it is believed that Matrigel, which contains several basement membrane proteins produced by sarcoma cells, is the most effective substratum. Matrigel does not contain extracellular matrix molecules derived from epithelial cells although the space of Disse contains the molecules such as laminin-511/521 (laminin-10/11). Therefore, the basement membrane formed by epithelial cells can be more effective substratum than Matrigel. In this study, we evaluated hepatocytes behavior on basement membrane (rBM) formed by alveolar epithelial cells. The viability of hepatocytes on rBM is higher than that of Matrigel within 5 days. Also, the expression of Cyp1a2 induced by beta-naphthoflavone can be observed in hepatocytes on rBM but not in Matrigel. These results indicate that rBM is a more effective substratum for hepatocyte culture than Matrigel.

Primary hepatocyte survival on non-integrin-recognizable matrices without the activation of Akt signaling

The suppression of the detachment-induced cell death (anoikis) by the interaction between the cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) is necessary for the application of liver tissue engineering because the disruption of interaction with ECM leads hepatocytes to anoikis. It has been considered, in general, that integrin signal plays an important role in the hepatocyte survival although hepatocytes survive on some types of non-integrin-recognizable matrices, such as poly(N-p-vinylbenzyl-4-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-D-gluconamide) (PVLA) and poly-L-lysine (PLL) for several days without the serum. Anoikis was suppressed in the non-adherent culture of hepatocytes isolated from gld/gld mouse, indicating that Fas signal induces hepatocyte anoikis. Fas production is decreased in the adherent culture of hepatocytes on both integrin- and non-integrin-recognizable matrices. Akt activation was hardly observed in the adherent culture of hepatocytes on non-integrin-recognizable matrices whereas the activation occurred in the adherent culture on integrin-recognizable matrices. In the adherent culture of hepatocytes on non-integrin-recognizable matrices, Akt does not contribute to the hepatocyte survival. To prolong the viability of hepatocytes in the adherent culture on PVLA matrix on which hepatocytes maintain their functions for longer period than those on PLL matrix, it might be a good approach to activate Akt signaling pathway.

The fatty acid constitution and ordering state of membranes in dominant temperature-sensitive lethal mutation and wild-type Drosophila melanogaster larvae

The ordering state and changes in fatty acid composition of microsomal (MS) and mitochondrial (MC) membranes of two dominant temperature-sensitive (DTS) lethal mutations and the wild-type Oregon-R strain larvae of Drosophila melanogaster have been studied at 18 and 29 degrees C and after temperature-shift experiments. The membranes of wild-type larvae have a stable ordering state, with "S" values between 0.6 (18 degrees C) and 0.5 (29 degrees C) in both membranes which remained unchanged in shift experiments, although the ratios of saturated/unsaturated fatty acids were changed as expected. The strongly DTS mutation 1(2) 10DTS forms very rigid membranes at the restrictive temperature (29 degrees C) which cannot be normalized after shift down, while shift up or development at the permissive temperature results in normal ordering state. This mutant is less able to adjust MS and MC fatty acid composition in response to the growth temperature than the wild type. The less temperature-sensitive 1(2)2DTS allele occupies an intermediate state between Oregon-R and 1(2)10DTS in both respects. We assume and the genetical data suggest that the DTS mutant gene product is in competition with the wild-type product, resulting in a membrane structure which is not able to accommodate to the restrictive temperature.