Comparison of commercially available media for hepatic differentiation and hepatocyte maintenance

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 15; no. 2; p. e0229654
• Main Authors: Toba, Yukiko, Deguchi, Sayaka, Mimura, Natsumi, Sakamoto, Ayaka, Harada, Kazuo, Hirata, Kazumasa, Takayama, Kazuo, Mizuguchi, Hiroyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 27.02.2020; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Albumin; Albumins; Albumins - metabolism; Analysis; Biochemistry; Biology and Life Sciences; Cell culture; Cell Culture Techniques - methods; Cell Differentiation; Cell Line; Cells, Cultured; Culture Media; Cytochrome P-450; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C19 - metabolism; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C9 - metabolism; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A - metabolism; Differentiation; Engineering and Technology; Hepatocytes; Hepatocytes - cytology; Hepatocytes - metabolism; Humans; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells - cytology; Laboratories; Liver; Maintenance; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mephenytoin; Molecular biology; Nutrition; Pharmaceutical sciences; Pharmaceuticals; Phenols; Physical Sciences; Power (Philosophy); Proteins; R&D; Research & development; Research and Analysis Methods; Scientific equipment industry; Stem cells; Urea; Urea - metabolism; Ureas; Vitamin A; United States; Japan
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229654

Human hepatocytes are essential materials in pharmaceutical researches. Not only primary human hepatocytes (PHH) but also human iPS cell-derived hepatocyte-like cells (human iPS-HLCs) are expected to be applied as materials for pharmaceutical researches. To date, several culture media have been developed for culturing human hepatocytes. However, there have been no reports comparing these media to determine which is most suitable for culturing human hepatocytes. In this study, we compared five commercial media (Hepatocyte Culture Medium (HCM), HepatoZYME-SFM, Cellartis Power Primary HEP Medium, DMEM/F12, and William's E Medium (WEM)) to determine which is most suitable for culturing PHH and human iPS-HLCs. In hepatic differentiation of human iPS cells (day 14-25 of differentiation), albumin (ALB) and urea secretion abilities and CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4 activities were the highest when using HCM or WEM. During maintenance of human iPS-HLCs, ALB and urea producing abilities and CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4 activities were the highest when using HCM. Importantly, we found that human iPS-HLCs cultured in HCM were maintained for 3 weeks or more without impairment of their hepatic functions. These results suggest that it is necessary to select an optimal medium for hepatic differentiation and maintenance of human iPS-HLCs. In the case of PHH culture, there was little difference in hepatic functions among the five media. However, the CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4 activities were the highest when using HCM and WEM. In conclusion, it is important to select the optimal medium for specific application when carrying out pharmaceutical researches using human hepatocytes.