Summary
Glucose, lactic-acid, and oxygen metabolism of BHK and L929 cells on artificial capillary perfusion units have been studied using several different modes of perfusion. After 7 to 10 days, cells planted in the extracapillary compartment of culture units containing 80 to 150 fibers reached populations that used 0.073±0.025 μmol per min glucose and 0.76±0.26 μl per min oxygen and excreted 0.078±0.038 μmol per min lactic acid. From these data it is estimated that these units contain approximately 2×107 cells. The metabolic rate of cultures perfused through the capillaries or through the extracapillary compartment was not affected significantly by change in flow rate except at perfusion flow rates ≤0.05 ml per min. The cell population, as measured by metabolic activity, did not increase significantly when the serum content of the medium was ≤1%. No major differences were found in glucose utilization rates of equal numbers of cells on artificial capillaries, on short-term suspension culture, or as monolayers in plastic flasks. Artificial capillary perfusion may provide a simple system for studying metabolism of mammalian cells in culture.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Knazek, R. A., P. Gullino, R. Kohler, and R. Dedrick. 1972. Cell culture on artificial capillaries: An approach to tissue growth in vitro. Science 178: 65–67.
Knazek, R. A., P. O. Kohler, and P. M. Gullino. 1974. Hormone production by cells grown in vitro on artificial capillaries. Exp. Cell Res. 84: 251–254.
Knazek, R. A. 1974. Solid tissue masses formed in vitro from cells cultured on artificial capillaries. Fed. Proc. 33: 1978–1981.
Chick, W. L., A. A. Like, and V. Lauris. 1975. Beta cell culture on synthetic capillaries: An artificial endocrine pancreas. Science 187: 847–848.
Chick, W. L., A. A. Like, V. Lauris, P. M. Galletti, P. D. Richardson, G. Panol, T. W. Mix, and C. K. Colton. 1975. A hybrid artificial pancreas. Trans. Am. Soc. Artif. Int. Organs 21: 8–15.
Wolf, C. F. W., and B. E. Munkelt. 1975. Bilirubin conjugation by an artificial liver composed of cultured cells and synthetic capillaries. Trans. Am. Soc. Artif. Int. Organs 21: 16–27.
Kahn, R. H., W. E. Burkel, and V. P. Perry. 1974. Homeostatic and mass culture technology. J. Nat. Cancer Inst. 53: 1471.
Schratter, P. 1974. Synthetic capillaries for cell culture. Am. Lab. October: 33–38.
Knazek, R. A., and J. S. Skyler. 1976. Secretion of human prolactin in vitro. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 151: 561–564.
Schratter, P. 1976. Cell culture with synthetic capillaries. In: D. M. Prescott (Ed.),Methods in Cell Biology. Vol. 14. Academic Press, New York, pp. 95–103.
Wolf, C. F. W., and C. H. McCoy. 1977. Hollow fiber occlusion with focal cell death during artificial liver growth (abstr.). ASAIO Meeting, Montreal, p. 98.
Chick, W. L., P. M. Galletti, A. D. Whittemore, A. A. Like, C. K. Colton, M. J. Lysaght, and P. D. Richardson, 1977. Effects of the hybrid artificial pancreas in diabetic rats (abstr.). ASAIO Meeting, Montreal, p. 14.
Heersche, J. N. M., H. K. Moe, A. V. Rao, S. Reimers, D. M. Brunette, and A. H. Melcher. 1976. Culture of cells derived from bone on artificial capillaries. J. Dent. Res. B: 214.
Rutzky, L. P., J. T. Tomita, M. A. Calenoff, and B. D. Kahan. 1977. Matrix-perfusion cultivation of human choriocarcinoma and colon adenocarcinoma cells (abstr.). In Vitro 13: 191.
Fike, R. M., J. L. Glick, and A. A. Burns. 1977. Propagation of human lymphoid cell lines in hollow fiber capillary units (abstr.). In Vitro 13: 170.
Ehrlich, K., E. Stewart, E. Klein, and J. K. Smith. A water toxicity monitor using mammalian cells cultured on artificial capillaries, manuscript submitted for publication.
Kruse, P. F. 1972. Use of perfusion systems for growth of cell and tissue cultures. In: G. H. Rothblat, and V. J. Cristofalo (Eds.),Growth, Nutrition, and Metabolism of Cells in Culture. Vol. 2. Academic Press, New York, pp. 11–66.
Sodeman, W. A. 1950.Pathologic Physiology. W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia.
Holley, R. W. 1975. Control of growth of mammalian cells in culture. Nature 258: 487–490.
Dell'Orco, R. T., J. G. Mertons, P. F. Kruse, Jr. 1973. Doubling potential, calendar time, and senescence of human diploid cells in culture. Exp. Cell. Res. 77: 356–360.
Paul, J. 1965. Carbohydrate and energy metabolism. In: E. N. Willmer (Ed.),Cells and Tissues in Culture. Vol. 1. Academic Press, New York, pp. 239–276.
Werrlein, R. J., and A. D. Glinos. 1974. Oxygen microenvironment and respiratory oscillations in cultured mammalian cells. Nature 251: 317.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Research was supported by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Washington, D.C. 20314, under Contract No. DAMD 17-76-C-5075.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ehrlich, K.C., Stewart, E. & Klein, E. Artificial capillary perfusion cell culture: Metabolic studies. In Vitro 14, 443–450 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02616106
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02616106