Morphological and functional behaviors of rat hepatocytes cultured on single-walled carbon nanotubes

• Published in: Journal of materials science. Materials in medicine Vol. 22; no. 9; pp. 2071 - 2078
• Main Authors: Koga, Haruka, Fujigaya, Tsuyohiko, Nakashima, Naotoshi, Nakazawa, Kohji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.09.2011; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Biomaterials; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Biomedical materials; Biotechnology; Carbon; Cell Adhesion Molecules - metabolism; Cell culture; Cells, Cultured; Ceramics; Chemistry and Materials Science; Composites; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glass; Health. Pharmaceutical industry; Hepatocytes - cytology; Hepatocytes - metabolism; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Male; Materials Science; Miscellaneous; Nanotubes; Nanotubes, Carbon; Natural Materials; Polymer Sciences; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Regenerative Medicine/Tissue Engineering; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thin Films; Spheroid Formation; Albumin Secretion; Tissue Culture Dish; Hepatocyte Culture; Collagen Treatment; Biotechnology; Cell culture; Coating material; Rat; Digestive system; Tissue engineering; Liver; Rodentia; Scaffold; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Hepatocyte; Animal; Morphology; Cell adhesion; Surface properties; Nanostructured materials; Biomedical engineering
• ISSN: 0957-4530; 1573-4838
• DOI: 10.1007/s10856-011-4394-4

This study describes the morphological and functional behaviors of rat hepatocytes on single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT)-coated surfaces. Although the hydrophobic characteristics of CNT-coated surfaces increased with increasing CNT density, hepatocyte adhesion decreased, indicating that the interaction between hepatocytes and CNTs is weak. We found that hepatocytes on a CNT-coated surface gradually gather together and form spheroids (spherical multicellular aggregates). These spheroids exhibit compact spherical morphology with a smooth surface and express connexin-32, an intracellular communication molecule. In contrast, collagen treatment in conjunction with the CNT-coated surface improved hepatocyte adhesion, and the cells maintained a monolayer configuration throughout the culture period. The albumin secretion and ammonia removal activities of hepatocyte spheroids were maintained at elevated levels for at least 15 days of culturing as compared with hepatocyte monolayers. These results indicate that CNTs can be used for the formation and long-term culture of hepatocyte spheroids.