The design of in vitro liver sinusoid mimics using chitosan-hyaluronic acid polyelectrolyte multilayers

Tissue Eng Part A. 2010 Sep;16(9):2731-41. doi: 10.1089/ten.tea.2009.0695.

Abstract

Interactions between hepatocytes and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) are essential for the development and maintenance of hepatic phenotypic functions. We report the assembly of three-dimensional liver sinusoidal mimics comprised of primary rat hepatocytes, LSECs, and an intermediate chitosan-hyaluronic acid polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM). The height of the PEMs ranged from 30 to 55 nm and exhibited a shear modulus of approximately 100 kPa. Hepatocyte-PEM cellular constructs exhibited stable urea and albumin production over a 7-day period, and these values were either higher or similar to cells cultured in a collagen sandwich. This is of significance because the thickness of a collagen gel is approximately 1000-fold higher than the height of the chitosan-hyaluronic acid PEM. In the hepatocyte-PEM-LSEC liver-mimetic cellular constructs, LSEC phenotype was maintained, and these cultures exhibited stable urea and albumin production. CYP1A1/2 activity measured over a 7-day period was significantly higher in the hepatocyte-PEM-LSEC constructs than in collagen sandwich cultures. A 16-fold increase in CYP1A1/2 activity was observed for hepatocyte-PEM-10,000 LSEC samples, thereby suggesting that interactions between hepatocytes and LSECs are critical in enhancing the detoxification capability in hepatic cultures in vitro.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chitosan / chemistry*
  • Hepatocytes / cytology*
  • Humans
  • Hyaluronic Acid / chemistry*
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Rats
  • Tissue Culture Techniques

Substances

  • Polymers
  • Hyaluronic Acid
  • Chitosan