Acellular liver matrix improves the survival and functions of isolated rat hepatocytes cultured in vitro.

  • Authors:
    • Patrizia Burra
    • Silvia Tomat
    • Maria Teresa Conconi
    • Carlo Macchi
    • Francesco P Russo
    • Pier Paolo Parnigotto
    • Remo Naccarato
    • Gastone G Nussdorfer
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: October 1, 2004     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.14.4.511
  • Pages: 511-516
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Abstract

Alternative approaches to overcome the shortage of donors for liver transplantation may be the use of hepatocytes for bioartificial devices or transplantation. Therefore, the setting-up of new in vitro culture techniques allowing the long-term survival and functional maintenance of hepatocytes represents a formidable challenge. Aim of this study was to obtain a liver homologous acellular matrix (HAM) able to support viability and metabolic functions of rat hepatocytes in primary culture. HAMs were prepared by sequential incubation of rat liver slices in deoxycholic acid and DNase solutions. Dispersed rat hepatocytes were obtained by collagenase digestion and mechanical disaggregation. Isolated hepatocytes were seeded on uncoated and collagen- or HAM-coated tissue culture plastic wells. Cultures were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the viability of hepatocytes and their ability to produce albumin and urea were assessed. The viability of freshly dispersed hepatocytes was about 98%. Hepatocytes seeded on HAM exhibited a significantly higher viability and a markedly lower apoptotic rate than those grown on plastic or collagen. Accordingly, albumin and urea nitrogen productions were significantly higher in HAM-cultured hepatocytes. SEM showed that hepatocytes seeded on HAM displayed a clustered organization, and were well anchored to the matrix and morphologically stable. Taken together, these findings indicate that HAM strongly improves viability and functional activity of rat hepatocytes cultured in vitro.

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October 2004
Volume 14 Issue 4

Print ISSN: 1107-3756
Online ISSN:1791-244X

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Spandidos Publications style
Burra P, Tomat S, Conconi M, Macchi C, Russo F, Parnigotto P, Naccarato R and Nussdorfer G: Acellular liver matrix improves the survival and functions of isolated rat hepatocytes cultured in vitro.. Int J Mol Med 14: 511-516, 2004.
APA
Burra, P., Tomat, S., Conconi, M., Macchi, C., Russo, F., Parnigotto, P. ... Nussdorfer, G. (2004). Acellular liver matrix improves the survival and functions of isolated rat hepatocytes cultured in vitro.. International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 14, 511-516. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.14.4.511
MLA
Burra, P., Tomat, S., Conconi, M., Macchi, C., Russo, F., Parnigotto, P., Naccarato, R., Nussdorfer, G."Acellular liver matrix improves the survival and functions of isolated rat hepatocytes cultured in vitro.". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 14.4 (2004): 511-516.
Chicago
Burra, P., Tomat, S., Conconi, M., Macchi, C., Russo, F., Parnigotto, P., Naccarato, R., Nussdorfer, G."Acellular liver matrix improves the survival and functions of isolated rat hepatocytes cultured in vitro.". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 14, no. 4 (2004): 511-516. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.14.4.511