Galactosylated alginate as a scaffold for hepatocytes entrapment

Galactose moieties were covalently coupled with alginate through ethylenedi amine as the spacer for enhancing the interaction of hepatocytes with algin ate, Adhesion of hepatocytes onto the galactosylated alginate (GA)-coated p olystyrene (PS) surface showed an 18-fold increase as compared with that of the alginate-coated surface and it increased with an increase in the conce ntration of GA. The morphologies of attached hepatocytes were observed to s pread out at the 0.15 wt% GA-coated PS surface while round cells were obser ved at the 0.5 wt% GA-coated PS surface. Inhibition of hepatocytes attachme nt onto the galactose-carrying PS-coated surface occurred with the addition of the GA into the hepatocyte suspension, indicating the binding of GA wit h hepatocytes via the patch of asialoglycoprotein receptors. Primary hepato cytes were entrapped in the GA/Ca2+ capsules (GAC). Higher cell viability a nd more spheroid formation of hepatocytes were obtained in the GAC than in the alginate/Ca2+ capsules (AC). Moreover, liver functions of the hepatocyt es such as albumin secretion and urea synthesis in the GAC were improved in comparison with those in the AC. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.