Hepatocyte culture on biodegradable polymeric substrates

Abstract

The interactions of primary rat liver cells with biodegradable polymeric substrates were investigated in vitro to assess the suitability of the polymer materials for use in cell transplantation devices. The kinetics of cell adhesion to, and the growth and biochemical function of cells maintained on, films formed from poly (D,L‐lactic‐co‐glycolic acid, 88: 12) (PLGA) or from a 50/50 (w/w) blend of PLGA and poly (L‐lactic acid) (PLLA) were evaluated in comparison to two control substrates, matrigel coated or collagen‐coated polystyrene petri dishes. The rate of cell adhesion to both types of polymeric substrates was similar to the rate of adhesion to the collagen control substrate, but of the two polymers, only the blend was suitable for extended culture. Hepatocytes maintained on the polymer blend films showed retention of differentiated cell function as measured by the rate of albumin secretion–the rate of albumin secretion by cells on the films was the same as the rate for cells on matrigel and reached a level in the range of reported in vivo levels (140–160 μg/10⁶ cells/24 h). In contrast, albumin secretion by hepatocytes maintained on collagen‐coated polystyrene culture dishes declined over five days to a level one third that of the initial level and one fifth that of cells maintained on the polymer blend films on day five. Such retention of differentiated cell function by hepatocytes in culture has previously been observed only when hepatocytes were cultured in the presence of exogenous extracellular matrix proteins or were cocultured with another cell type. In addition to retention of differentiated function, the cells maintained on the polymer blend films also displayed rates of DNA synthesis similar to controls maintained on collagen‐coated polystyrene, a substrate optimal for DNA synthesis.