FIGURE 4.

Culture of cholangiocyte-like cells (CLCs) on the extracellular matrix (ECM)-coated hollow fiber membrane (HFM) form tight and mature bile duct. (A) Illustrative image of HFM-cultured CLCs. (B) Bioengineered bile duct immunostaining. Immunofluorescence analysis of the bioengineered bile duct expression of key cholangiocyte markers [keratin (K) 7 and 19], transport markers [(secretin receptor (SCTR), G protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1 (GPBAR1, also known as TGR5), cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)], F-actin, epithelial markers [cadherin 1 (CDH1), and tight junction protein 1 (ZO1)]. Scale bar = 50 μm. (C) Trans-epithelial barrier function. The inulin-FITC leakage was assessed in the presence or absence of CLCs; data are shown as mean ± SD of four independent experiments for each group. Statistical differences between groups were analyzed using the two-tailed Mann–Whitney U test; HFM, N = 4; HFM/Cells, N = 4; *p < 0.05.