Morphology and albumin secretion of adult rat hepatocytes cultured on a hydrophobic porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane

Primary culture of rat hepatocytes was performed on a hydrophobic porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membrane incorporated into the base of a culture dish. Two types of ePTFE membranes, a uniaxially expanded type (ePTFE-1) and a biaxially expanded type (ePTFE-2), could be used as the culture surfaces for hepatocytes. The formation of multicellular aggregates was observed in the culture dish when each membrane type was used. A pore size of 1 μm or higher was adequate for cell adhesion and albumin secretion for both membrane types. The activity of albumin secretion in the dish with the ePTFE membrane was markedly higher than that in the polystyrene dish. Spheroidal multicellular aggregates (spheroids) were observed when hepatocytes were cultured on the ePTFE-1 membrane. The ePTFE-1 membrane maintained the albumin secretion activity for a longer period than the non-expanded PTFE film. It was assumed that the cooperative action of membrane structure and oxygen permeability promoted the formation of cell aggregates and increased the albumin secretion activity.