Morphology and growth of mammalian cells in a liquid/liquid culture system supported with oxygenated perfluorodecalin

Adherent A431, BHK-21, and C2C12 cells were cultured on a flexible interface formed between two immiscible liquid phases: (i) hydrophobic perfluorodecalin (PFD) and (ii) aqueous culture medium (DMEM). BHK-21 cells formed multicellular aggregates characterized by irregular shapes. A431, as well as C2C12 cells, grew as tight multicellular sheets of 3-D cells. Enhanced mass transfer and facilitated access of the cells to the O2 dissolved in PFD/DMEM by approx. 250 % and thereby increased the density of BHK-21 cells. Thus the liquid/liquid system is a simple, ready-to-use, and fully scalable (independent of vessel shapes); consequently it is a method for 3-D cultures of adherent animal cells in which the growth of anchorage-dependent cells is not limited by confluence effect.