[Use of hepatocytes cultured in microcarriers for correction of acute hepatic insufficiency]

The ability of hepatocytes cultured on Biosilon microcarriers to secrete albumin and to conjugate bilirubin were examined for the purpose of developing an artificial liver support system. Cultured hepatocytes were able to synthesize 100-120 micrograms albumin per 10(5) cells in 24 hours and to conjugate about 20 micrograms/hr of bilirubin for at least 5 days. Rats with liver failure caused by i.p. injection of CCL4 or D-galactosamine were subjected to hemosorption via minicolumns containing 2 ml of Biosilon microcarriers with 40 X 10(6) cultured hepatocytes. The procedure was performed 20-24 h after hepatotoxins injection and lasted for 3 h at a flow rate of 60 ml/h. This reduced mortality from 100% to 20% after 48% and to 40% after 7 days in case of CCl4 and from 100% to 40% after 48 h and 7 days in case of D-galactosamine. Our results suggest that hepatocytes cultured on microcarriers may be efficiently applied to correction of fulminant hepatic failure caused by different hepatotoxins.