Awata R, Sawai H, Imai K, Terada K, Senoo H, Sugiyama T
Akita Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd, Japan.
J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 1998 Sep;13 Suppl:S55-61.
Four types of materials, type I collagen coat (Coat), acid-soluble type I collagen gel (Hardgel), pepsin-treated acid-soluble type I collagen gel (Softgel), and an extract of extracellular matrix of the murine Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm sarcoma (Matrigel), were used as matrices to culture rat hepatic parenchymal cells, and their morphological changes and adhesion were compared to the matrices by electron microscopic observations. Hepatic parenchymal cells cultured on Coat and Hardgel were extended and flattened, whereas cells cultured on Softgel and Matrigel assembled and formed aggregates. Such aggregates consisted of several hepatic parenchymal cells, with a recognizable bile duct-like alveolus on the inside. Morphologically, the aggregates were more spherical on Matrigel and oval shaped on Softgel. Microvilli of the cell surface were parallel to the matrix on Matrigel, but invaded into the gel on Softgel. Subsequently, investigation into how these morphological features affected the liver-specific functions, including secretion of albumin and induction of P450 by 3-methylcholanthrene, demonstrated that a high level of liver function was maintained in a long-term culture in hepatic parenchymal cells on Softgel. These results suggest that hepatic parenchymal cell interactions were stronger with Softgel than with Matrigel, and that Softgel appears to closely mimic the in vivo environment.
四种材料，即I型胶原蛋白包被（包被）、酸溶性I型胶原蛋白凝胶（硬凝胶）、胃蛋白酶处理的酸溶性I型胶原蛋白凝胶（软凝胶）以及小鼠Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm肉瘤细胞外基质提取物（基质胶），被用作培养大鼠肝实质细胞的基质，并通过电子显微镜观察比较它们与基质的形态变化和黏附情况。在包被和硬凝胶上培养的肝实质细胞呈伸展和扁平状，而在软凝胶和基质胶上培养的细胞聚集形成聚集体。这种聚集体由几个肝实质细胞组成，内部有可识别的胆管样小泡。从形态上看，聚集体在基质胶上更呈球形，在软凝胶上呈椭圆形。细胞表面的微绒毛在基质胶上与基质平行，但在软凝胶上侵入凝胶中。随后，对这些形态特征如何影响肝脏特异性功能（包括白蛋白分泌和3-甲基胆蒽诱导的P450）的研究表明，在软凝胶上培养的肝实质细胞在长期培养中维持了高水平的肝功能。这些结果表明，肝实质细胞与软凝胶的相互作用比与基质胶更强，并且软凝胶似乎更紧密地模拟了体内环境。
