Abstract
To enhance the liver-specific functions of rat hepatocyte aggregates without the addition of exogenous growth factors, polylactic acid-polyglycolic acid (PLGA)/gelatin microcapsules that release insulin, dexamethasone, epidermal growth factors, and glucagon were prepared and incorporated into the hepatocyte aggregates in suspension culture. Precoating the capsules with fibronectin enhanced the incorporation of the microcapsules into the hepatocyte aggregates. In a growth factor- and hormone-free culture medium, these microcapsule-containing aggregates showed a sustained cell number and an ammonium detoxification capacity compared with two types of control culture. One was the culture of microcapsule-free aggregates with albumin-containing control capsules and the other was the culture of capsule-free aggregates that were supplied with the same factors and hormones from the culture medium at concentration levels expected from the release kinetics of the microcapsules. Our new methodology demonstrates that the performance and duration of bioartificial liver systems can be enhanced due to a more efficient maintenance of cell number by using such growth factor- and hormone-releasing microcapsules.