SHORT-TERM HYPOTHERMIC PRESERVATION OF PORCINE HEPATOCYTE SPHEROIDS USING UW SOLUTION

The feasibility of University of Wisconsin (UW) solution in short-term hypothermic preservation of porcine hepatocyte spheroids was investig ated, because they have great potential in bioartificial liver (BAL) s ystems, Porcine hepatocyte spheroids preserved for 3 days expressed al most comparable levels of albumin secretion as those without preservat ion, during 8 subsequent days of recultivation in continuous rotationa l culture, whereas isolated single cells did not reorganize into spher oids and completely lost their function in recultivation, Although for 3-day-preserved spheroids, the albumin secretion was lowered immediat ely after recultivation (Days 0-2), it was completely restored to that of nonpreserved ones. The function was completely lost in recultivati on for 7-day-preserved ones, These results demonstrate that reorganiza tion into spheroids is effective in preventing the functional loss of porcine hepatocytes occurring in hypothermic preservation, and that sp heroid formation should precede the preservation as Long as spheroid c ulture is finally used in BAL systems, Also, porcine hepatocyte sphero ids are shown to be satisfactory stored in UW solution up to 3 days wi thout significant cellular or functional loss.