PubMed · 1992 · 21 citations · 0 references
EngineeringBioengineeringBiomedical EngineeringBiocompatibilityHepatotoxicologyTissue EngineeringAnimal Cell CultureBiomaterials For Tissue EngineeringCollagen-based BiomaterialsExtracellular MatrixLiver Tissue EngineeringTissue PreparationAlbumin Secretion AssaysAnimal TestsCritical Solution TemperatureHepatocyte CultureLower Critical Solution TemperatureSpheroid CultureSpheroid Culture ModelsSpheroid Models
A novel method for the preparation of spheroids containing two types of cells (hetero-spheroid) has been successfully developed by using a collagen-conjugated thermo-responsive polymer, poly-N-isopropyl acrylamide, as a cell substratum. The hetero-spheroid was prepared by detaching the confluent monolayer composed of parenchymal and non-parenchymal rat liver cells at a temperature below lower critical solution temperature and culturing it on the non-adhesive substratum. The hetero-spheroid had activity in albumin secretion and PNPA hydrolase activity over a period of 60 days in dishes. These findings suggest that this spheroid formation system is a useful model of an alternative to animal tests of hepatotoxicity.