THE COENCAPSULATED HEPATOCYTES WITH BONE MARROW CELLS HEPATOCYTES VIABILITY AND FUNCTION EXTENDED BOTH IN VITRO AND IN VIVO

Abstract

The principle of artificial cell (Chang 1964) has been used for the bioencapsulation of islet, hepatocytes and other cells for immuno-isolation (Chang et al, CJPP 1966). We are now studying a new method to prolong hepatocytes viability and function. When bone marrow cells were co-encapsulated with hepatocytes, the viability of hepatocytes in culture was prolonged to 28 days, compared to 14 days when encapsulated hepatocytes were cultured alone. The ammonia removal capacity was maintained longer when hepatocytes were co-encapsulated with bone marrow cells. In vivo viability studies showed that co-encapsulated hepatocytes with bone marrow cells increased the hepatocytes' viability. In other in vivo study, the encapsulated cells were transplanted intra-peritoneally into hyperbilirubinemia Gunn rats. Hepatocytes co-encapsulated with bone marrow cells lowered the plasma bilirubin levels and maintained this lower levels significantly longer when compared to encapsulated hepatocytes during the period of 10 weeks after transplantation. The above results show that co-encapsulating hepatocytes and bone marrow cells improves the duration of hepatocytes viability and specific function in vitro and in vivo.