FIG. 2.

Effect of flow rate and system pressures on cell deposition inside the liver ECM scaffold. (A) System (portal) pressure as a function of flow rate. (B) Image-based quantification of cell penetration into the scaffold as a function of system pressure. (C) Cell occupancy inside the scaffold as a function of flow rate, 1 day after cell seeding. (D) Cell occupancy as a function of flow rate after 1 or 7 days in the perfusion bioreactor. (E, F) Representative hematoxylin and eosin images of liver scaffolds after 1 day in the perfusion bioreactor postseeding at 3 mL/min (E) and 12 mL/min (F). (G) Cell proliferation, as quantified as the percentage of Ki-67-positive cells as a function of flow rate at 1 and 7 days. (H) Cell viability, the percentage of apoptotic cells, as determined by TUNEL staining and lactase dehydrogenase concentrations in the media as function of flow rate after 1 day. Due to massive cell death experienced at 40 mL/min, experiments at this flow rate did not proceed to day 7. Results presented as mean ± SD, n = 3. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01. Color images available online at www.liebertpub.com/tec