Table 1.

Strategies to counteract spontaneous apoptosis in primary hepatocyte cultures

The addition of anti-apoptotic molecules to the cell culture medium

EGF/HGF

Insulin/glucagon

Dexamethasone

DMSO

Phenobarbital

Trichostatin A/5-(4-dimethylaminobenzoyl)aminovaleric acid hydroxamide

The restoration of intercellular contacts

Co-cultures with hepatic/non-hepatic partners Spheroid cultures

The re-establishment of an ECM scaffold

Single scaffold cultures on natural/synthetic/non-physiological substrata

Sandwich cultures between natural/non-physiological ECM layers

DMSO dimethylsulphoxide, ECM extracellular matrix, EGF epidermal growth factor, HGF hepatocyte growth factor