Figure 14. Albumin and urea synthesis rates of hepatocytes in encapsulated perfusion cultures.
Primary rat hepatocytes were encapsulated in CSA/CMC capsules with a with 1 mg/ml collagen gel, at a density of 2×107 cells/ml of CSA/CMC/collagen solution. (A) Control collagen sandwich dish culture. (B) Encapsulated hepatocytes aggregated into spheroids during culture as either (C) individual capsules in a fluidized bed bioreactor, or as a (D) fused modular construct in a packed bed bioreactor. (E–H) Albumin and urea synthesis rates by the hepatocytes in the three culture conditions. (E,F) Control collagen sandwich cultures. (G, H) Perfusion cultures. Error bars denote standard deviations from 3 replicate measurements.