Khalil M, Shariat-Panahi A, Tootle R, Ryder T, McCloskey P, Roberts E, Hodgson H, Selden C. Human hepatocyte cell lines proliferating as cohesive spheroid colonies in alginate markedly upregulate both synthetic and detoxificatory liver function.
J Hepatol 2001;
34:68-77. [PMID:
11211910 DOI:
10.1016/s0168-8278(00)00080-5]
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Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS
Bio-artificial liver support systems for treatment of hepatic failure require maintained expression of hepatocyte function in vitro. We studied cultures of human hepatocyte cell-lines proliferating within alginate beads, investigating the hypothesis that 3-dimensional cohesive colonies of hepatocyte cell-lines would achieve polarity and cell-to-cell contact resulting in upregulation of function.
METHODS
HepG2 and HHY41 human cell lines in alginate beads were cultured for >20 days.
RESULTS
Proliferation was maintained for 20 days. Production of albumin, prothrombin, fibrinogen, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein and alpha-1-antitrypsin was maintained throughout, maximal at days 8-10, when upregulation was 300-1100% compared with monolayer cultures at similar cell number per unit volume. Detoxificatory functions: ethoxyresorufin deethylase activity, androstenedione metabolism, and urea synthesis from arginine was also increased several-fold. Function returned to pre-freezing levels within 18 h of thawing after cryopreservation of cells in alginate. Electron microscopy revealed spherical colonies of cells of cuboidal shape, with cell-to-cell contact via desmosomes and junctional complexes, abundant microvilli, and cytoplasmic appearances suggesting transcriptionally active hepatocytes.
CONCLUSION
Hepatocyte cell-lines, proliferating in alginate express a range of liver-specific functions at levels approaching those found in vivo, relevant to their use in liver support systems.
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