The Viability and Regeneration of Artificial Cell Microencapsulated Rat Hepatocyte Xenograft Transplants in Mice

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Abstract
Viable hepatocytes were microencapsulated within artificial cells to form a bio-artificial liver. Trypan blue stain exclusion testing generally showed that 60% of the encapsulated hepatocytes remained viable immediatly after encapsulation. To determine if xenogeneic hepatocytes can be successfully transplanted, encapsulated rat hepatocytes were implanted intra-peritoneally into mice and galactosamine induced liver failure mice. After 29 days of implantation in mice and 8 days of implantation in liver failure induced mice there was no significant change observed in the number of hepatocytes within the free floating microcapsules recovered from the peritoneal cavity. The percentage viability of the hepatocytes inside the recovered microcapsules increased from 62% to nearly 100% after 29 days of implantation in mice. The percentage viability of the encapsulated hepatocytes implanted in the liver failure induced mice was followed for 8 days. The percentage viability of the hepatocytes inside the microcapsule also increased from 42% to nearly 100%. In mice implanted with free rat hepatocytes, no viable hepatocytes were observed as early as 4 and 5 days after implantation. Instead a larger number of lymphoid cells and remnants of hepatocytes were recovered from the peritoneal cavity. In all cases the viability of the rat hepatocytes were determined with trypan blue stain.