Summary
A technique for the isolation of human intrahepatic bile ductular epithelium, and the establishment of primary cultures using a serum- and growth-factor-supplemented medium combined with a connective tissue substrata is described. Initial cell isolates and monolayer cultures display phenotypic characteristics of biliary epithelial cells (low molecular weight prekeratin positive; albumin, alphafetoprotein, and Factor VIII-related antigen negative). Ultrastructural features of the cultured cells show cell polarization with surface microvilli, numerous interepithelial junctional complexes and cytoplasmic intermediate prekeratin filaments.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Demetris, A. J.; Lasky, S.; Van Thiel, D. H., et al. Pathology of hepatic transplantation: a review of 62 adult allograft recipients immunosuppressed with a cyclosporine/steroid regimen. Am. J. Pathol. 118: 151–161; 1985.
Snover, D. C.; Sibley, R. K.; Freese, D. K., et al. Orthotopic liver transplantation: a pathologic study of 63 serial liver biopsies from 17 patients with special reference to the diagnostic features and natural history of rejection. Hepatology 4: 1212–1222; 1984.
MacSween, R. N. M.; Burt, A. D. The cellular pathology of primary biliary cirrhosis. Molecular aspects Med. 8: 269–291; 1985.
Sirica, A. E.; Sattler, C. A.; Cihla, H. P. Characterization of a primary bile ductular cell culture from the livers of rats during extrahepatic cholestasis. Am. J. Pathol. 120: 67–78; 1985.
Grant, A. G.; Billing, B. H. The isolation and characterization of a bile ductule cell population from normal and bile-duct ligated rat livers. Br. J. Exp. Pathol. 58: 301–310; 1977.
Ming-Sound, T.; Smith, J. D.; Nelson, K. G., et al. A diploid epithelial cell line from normal adult rat liver with phenotypic properties of “oval” cells. Exp. Cell Res. 154: 38–52; 1984.
Yoshimura, H.; Harris, R.; Yokoyama, S., et al. Anaplastic carcinomas in nude mice and in original donor strain rats inoculated with cultured oval cells. Am. J. Pathol. 110: 322–332; 1983.
Fausto, N.; Thompson, N. L.; Braum, L. Purification and culture of oval cells from rat liver. In: Pretlow, T. G.; Pretlow, T. P., eds. Cell separation: methods and selected applications. New York: Academic Press; 1987: 45–78.
Grisham, J. W.; Hartroft, W. S. Morphologic identification by electron microscopy of “oval” cells in experimented hepatic regeneration. Lab. Invest. 10: 317–332; 1961.
Grisham, J. W.; Porta, E. A. Origin and fate of proliferated hepatic ductal cells in the rat: electron microscopic and autoradiographic studies. Exp. Mol. Pathol. 3: 242–261; 1964.
Grisham, J. W. Cell types in long-term passable cultures of rat liver. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 349: 128–137; 1980.
Hayner, N. T.; Braun, L.; Yaswen, P., et al. Isoenzyme profiles of oval cells, parenchymal cells, and biliary cells isolated by centrifugal elutriation from normal and preneoplastic livers. Cancer Res. 44: 332–338; 1984.
Petropoulos, C.; Yaswen, P.; Panzcia, M., et al. Cell lineage in liver carcinogenesis: possible clues from studies of the distribution of alphofeto-protein RNA sequences in all populations isolated from normal, regenerating and preneoplastic livers. Cancer Res. 45: 5762–5768; 1985.
Ried, L. M.; Jefferson, D. M. Culturing hepatocytes and other differentiated cells. Hepatology 4: 548–559; 1984.
Hammond, S. L.; Ham, R. G.; Stampfer, M. R. Serum-free growth of human mammary epithelial cells: Rapid clonal growth in defined medium and extended serial passage with pituitary extract. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81: 5435–5439; 1984.
Jauregni, H. O.; McMillan, P. N.; Driscoll, J., et al. Attachment and long-term survival of adult rat hepatocytes in primary monolayer cultures: comparison of different substrata and tissue culture media formulations. In Vitro 22: 13–22; 1986.
Demetris, A. J.; Lasky, S.; Van Thiel, D. H., et al. Induction of DR/Ia antigens in human liver allografts. Transplantation 40: 504–509; 1984.
Green, H.; Rheinwald, J. G.; Sun, T. T. Properties of an epithelial cell type in culture: the epidermal keratinocyte and it's dependence on products of the fibroblast. In: Pollack, R., ed. Reading in mammalian cell culture. Cold Spring Harbor, NY: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; 149–156.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Demetris, A.J., Markus, B.H., Saidman, S. et al. Isolation and primary cultures of human intrahepatic bile ductular epithelium. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol 24, 464–470 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02628499
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02628499