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Long-Term Culture and Coculture of Primary Rat and Human Hepatocytes

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Epithelial Cell Culture Protocols

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 945))

Abstract

The liver is the largest internal organ in mammals, serving a wide spectrum of vital functions. Loss of liver function due to drug toxicity or viral infection is a major cause of death in the United States. The development of Bioartificial Liver (BAL) devices and the demand for pharmaceutical and cosmetic toxicity screening require the development of long-term hepatocyte culture techniques. However, primary hepatocytes rapidly lose their cuboidal morphology and liver-specific functions over a few days in culture. Accumulation of stress fibers, loss of metabolic function, and cell death are known phenomena. In recent years, several techniques were developed that can support high levels of liver-specific gene expression, metabolic and synthetic function for several weeks in culture. These include the collagen double-gel configuration, hepatocyte spheroids, coculture with endothelial cells, and micropatterned cocultures with 3T3-J2 fibroblasts. This chapter covers the current status of hepatocyte culture techniques, including: hepatocyte isolation, media formulation, oxygen supply, heterotypic cell–cell interactions, and basic functional assays.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Ms. Candice Calhoun for technical advice. This work was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (K01DK080241) and the European Research Council Starting Grant (TMIHCV 242699). Resources were provided by the Silberman Institute of Life Sciences and the Center for Bioengineering in the Service of Humanity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Selim and Rachel Benin School of Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

    Maria Shulman & Yaakov Nahmias

Authors
  1. Maria Shulman
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  2. Yaakov Nahmias
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Correspondence to Yaakov Nahmias .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cystic Fibrosis/Pulmonary Research Ctr., University of North Carolina, Thurston Bowles Building 4011, Chapel Hill, 27599, North Carolina, USA

    Scott H. Randell

  2. Cystic Fibrosis/Pulmonary Research Ctr., The University of North Carolina, Thurston-Bowles Building 4011, Chapel Hill, 27599, North Carolina, USA

    M. Leslie Fulcher

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Shulman, M., Nahmias, Y. (2012). Long-Term Culture and Coculture of Primary Rat and Human Hepatocytes. In: Randell, S., Fulcher, M. (eds) Epithelial Cell Culture Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 945. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-125-7_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-125-7_17

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-124-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-125-7

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