Monolayer culture of parenchymal rat hepatocytes on collagen-coated microcarriers. A hepatocyte system for short- and long-term metabolic studies.

A method is described for the attachment to and monolayer culture of adult rat hepatocytes on collagen-coated or fibronectin-coated microbeads or both in a chemically defined serum-free medium. Protein synthesis measured by the incorporation of [3H]leucine into protein was four-fold higher in the hepatocyte microcarrier cultures than in isolated hepatocyte suspensions. The hepatocyte microcarrier cultures showed acute responsiveness to insulin of fatty acid synthesis, glucose incorporation into glycogen, and decarboxylation of [1-14 C]pyruvate. Microcarrier-cultured hepatocytes have the combined advantages of monolayer culture and suspension systems. They are a potential tool for the study of long-term as well as acute effects of hormones.