ALTEX :: Alternatives to Animal Experiments

1994, Volume 4

Bioreactor for Long-Term Maintenance of Differentiated Hepatic Cell Functions

Jörg Gerlach1, Juliane Unger1, Oliver Hole1, Jens Encke1, Christian Müller2 and Peter Neuhaus1

1Chirurgische Klinik; 2Institut für Klinische Chemie, Universitätsklinikum Rudolf Virchow, Freie Universität D-Berlin

SUMMARY

A culture model and a bioreactor construction for hepatocyte in vitro culture is described. The reactor is based on capillaries for hepatocyte immobilization. Four discrete capillary membrane systems, each serving different purposes, are woven to create a three-dimensional framework for decentralized cell perfusion with low metabolite gradients and decentralized oxygenation and CO2 removal. The biochemical performance of reactors initially seeded with 2.5 x 109 pig hepatocytes was evaluated (pig albumin synthesis, midazolam- and lidocaine/MEGX metabolism, galactose elimination, enzymeleakage). The specific construction of the reactor enables a use in pharmacology alternatively to animal experiments.

Keywords: hepatocytes, abattoir organs, bioreactor, cell perfusion systems, co-culture, alternatives to animal experimentation, liver toxicity, pharmaco metabolism