[Metabolic evaluation of cultured porcine hepatocyte monolayers in human plasma from hepatic failure patients--basic study on development of a bioreactor in hybrid artificial liver].

In order to develop a functional bioreactor for hybrid artificial liver, function of cultured porcine hepatocyte monolayers in human plasma from hepatic failure patients (group III, n = 5) was investigated. Culture media, Leibovitz L-15 medium (group I, n = 7) and normal human plasma (group II, n = 3), were used as controls. Morphologically, no degeneration of porcine hepatocytes in hepatic failure plasma was observed for 5 days in culture. Levels of ureogenesis showed no significant difference against the controls at day 1, 2, 5 in culture, but the level at day 3 was significantly higher than that of group II. Levels of gluconeogenesis showed a close tendency as those of ureogenesis, but the level at day 3 was significantly lower than that of group I. Levels of intracellular DNA contents, showing between 1.85 +/- 0.39 and 1.35 +/- 0.05 microgram/cm2, were compatible with those of controls during first three days in culture, but level of group III at day 5 was significantly higher than that of group I. After incubation of porcine hepatocyte in hepatic failure plasma, the amount of valine, leucine, isoleucine, glutamine, arginine, and citrulline was significantly decreased. Elevated phenylalanine and tyrosine were also decreased, but Fischer's ratio, the ratio of branched chain amino acid against aromatic amino acids, was not significantly increased. Data obtained by this investigation showed that cultured porcine hepatocytes held proper hepatic function in the hepatic failure plasma. It is concluded that culture porcine hepatocyte monolayers were a promising candidate for a bioreactor of a hybrid artificial liver.