Induction of Zone‐Like Liver Function Gradients in HepG2 Cells by Varying Culture Medium Height

• Published in: Biotechnology progress Vol. 23; no. 6; pp. 1485 - 1491
• Main Authors: Camp, James P., Capitano, Adam T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: USA American Chemical Society 01-11-2007; American Institute of Chemical Engineers
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Cell Culture Techniques - methods; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival; Culture Media; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glucose - metabolism; Humans; Liver - physiology; Culture medium; Cell culture; Gradient; Induction; Liver
• ISSN: 8756-7938; 1520-6033
• DOI: 10.1021/bp070308v

In most laboratory‐scale mammalian cell cultures, the primary mode of oxygen delivery to cultured cells is by passive diffusion through a thin layer of culture medium, and the height of culture medium chosen may therefore have a significant effect on the phenotype of oxygen‐sensitive cell types. Many of the liver functions performed by hepatocytes are thought to be regulated into zones by the local oxygen concentration; of particular interest to in vitro toxicologists, the cytochrome P450 family of detoxification enzymes is known to be preferentially expressed by hepatocytes at low (perivenous) oxygen concentrations. Using an array of different medium heights in a 12‐well plate format, we show that the height of culture medium has a significant effect on cytochrome P450 1A1 detoxification activity, glucose metabolism, and cell morphology of HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cultures. In particular, cytochrome P450 activity exhibits a maximum at medium heights corresponding to perivenous oxygen concentrations. This work demonstrates that optimizing cell culture performance is not always the same as maximizing oxygen delivery.