Enhanced Oxygen Delivery to Liver Tissue Equivalent by Perfluorocarbon

Abstract

Bioartificial Liver Devices (BALs) have the potential to serve as a bridge strategy for patients awaiting liver transplants, and also show promise as drug testing platforms for the pharmaceutical industry [1]. Yet the limitations of O2 transport through the 3D tissue structures of current designs continue to present engineering challenges. In previous work our group successfully improved O2 availability for hepatocytes by introducing micropathways within the BAL’s cellular space [3–5]. The current study investigates the benefits of increasing O2 availability of the flow medium via perfluorocarbons (PFCs). PFCs were chosen since they have demonstrated effectiveness in increasing the overall oxygen solubility of their carrier liquids, e.g., artificial blood [2]. The study seeks to clarify the effects of PFCs on hepatocyte viability and functional performance under various culture conditions.