Comparison of different hepatocyte cell lines for use in a hybrid artificial liver model

Selection of a cell line suitable for a hybrid artificial liver model employing cellulose porous beads (CPBs) was investigated. Hep G2 cells grown in a culture dish exhibited appreciably higher ureogenesis and gluconeogenesis activities than those grown in CPBs. SEM observation of CPBs revealed marked difference in the distribution of attached cells from one bead to another, and showed that almost all the cell-bearing micropores were completely packed with cells. With the aim of selecting a cell line not prone to excessive aggregation and which grows moderately so as not to fill up the micropores, cells of 6 cell lines, HLE, HLE Hep 3B, PLC/PRF/5, Huh 7 and Hep G2, were cultivated in dishes. Hep G2, HLE, and HLF increased to 5 x 10(5) cells/cm(2), whereas PLC/PRF/5 grew only to 5 x 10(4), and Hep 3B and Huh 7 up to 2 x 10(4) cells/cm(2). The specific activities of ureogenesis and gluconeogenesis of Huh 7 were the highest among the lines tested - 42- and 7-fold those of Hep G2, respectively. When the 6 cell lines were grown in a submerged culture with 0.6 g/l of CPBs, Huh 7 had the lowest cell concentration of 0.54 x 10(6) cells/ml, and the highest activities of ammonia consumption and urea and glucose production (1.38 mu mol NH3, 99 nmol urea, and 14.5 nmol glucose/10(6)cells/h). Consequently, Huh 7 is considered to be a suitable cell line for use in the development of an artificial liver model employing porous beads.