A hybrid artificial liver system. Function of cultured monolayer pig hepatocytes in plasma from hepatic failure patients.

To produce a new hybrid artificial liver system, cultured pig hepatocytes were used in this study. Hepatocytes from normal healthy pigs were cultured in multiwell dishes. From the third day of cultivation, hepatocytes were divided into three groups according to the media used (Group 1, L-15; Group 2, normal human plasma; Group 3, plasma from hepatic failure [HF] patients). Measurements of cellular function of the cultured pig hepatocytes included metabolic activity (gluconeogenesis and ureogenesis), DNA content, and amino acid changes in the plasma. The ability to provide gluconeogenesis and ureogenesis by the cultured hepatocytes in HF plasma was maintained for 3 days, equal to that observed in Groups 1 and 2. DNA content was no different in the three groups. Elevated amino acid levels in the HF plasma, Phe, Met, Lys, and Gly, were significantly reduced by the cultured hepatocytes. The results indicate that the use of primary cultured pig hepatocytes is a step toward a hybrid artificial liver system, and a promising candidate as a bioreactor.