Comparison of cultured human hepatocytes isolated from surgical biopsies or cold-stored organ donor livers

C Vons; J P Pegorier; M A Ivanov; J Girard; C Melcion; A Cordier; D Franco

doi:10.1016/0887-2333(90)90094-a

Comparison of cultured human hepatocytes isolated from surgical biopsies or cold-stored organ donor livers

Toxicol In Vitro. 1990;4(4-5):432-4. doi: 10.1016/0887-2333(90)90094-a.

Authors

C Vons¹, J P Pegorier, M A Ivanov, J Girard, C Melcion, A Cordier, D Franco

Affiliation

¹ Groupe de Recherche sur la Chirurgie de Foie et de l'Hypertension Portale, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Villejuif, France; Laboratoire de Toxicologie Cellulaire et Génétique, Centre de Recherche de Rhône Poulenc Santé, Vitry s/Seine, France.

PMID: 20702208
DOI: 10.1016/0887-2333(90)90094-a

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to compare yield, attachment rate and specific metabolic functions (stimulation of ketone body production by glucagon) of human hepatocytes isolated from surgical biopsies and from organ donor livers cold stored with a modified University of Wisconsin (MUW) solution. A significantly greater number of hepatocytes was isolated from MUW-stored livers than from surgical biopsies. On average, 60% of hepatocytes isolated from surgical biopsies attached to uncoated flask whereas the attachment rate of hepatocytes isolated from MUW-stored livers was inconsistent and always below 40%. Glucagon significantly enhanced the rate of ketone body production of hepatocytes isolated from surgical biopsies; in contrast, glucagon had marginal effects on the rate of ketone body production in hepatocytes isolated from MUW-stored livers. These results demonstrate that human hepatocytes isolated from surgical biopsies maintain liver-specific and non-specific functions better than hepatocytes isolated from MUW-stored livers. Human hepatocytes isolated from surgical biopsies should be preferentially used for the study of metabolism in human liver.