PACKED-BED TYPE REACTOR TO ATTAIN HIGH-DENSITY CULTURE OF HEPATOCYTESFOR USE AS A BIOARTIFICIAL LIVER

In an attempt to develop a bioartificial liver using cultured hepatocy tes, we investigated the short-term and long-term viability and metabo lic functions of hepatocytes cultured in a new type of packed-bed type reactor using reticulated polyvinyl formal (PVF) resin as a supportin g material. Perfusion culture experiments using this reactor, as well as monolayer cultures using conventional collagen-coated Petri dishes as control experiments, were performed. It was found that the highest density of immobilized hepatocytes attained with PVF resin was on the order of 10(7) cells/cm(3) PVF and that hepatocytes cultured in this t ype of module for up to a week showed a sufficient level of liver-spec ific metabolic functions, such as ammonium metabolism, urea-N synthesi s, and albumin secretion, to be comparable to those in the monolayer c ulture. It is concluded that the packed-bed reactor system utilizing P VF resin is a promising means to develop a bioartificial organ using h epatocytes.