Print the pageA preliminary comparison of LiverBeadsTM with a conventional rat hepatocyte culture preparation: some aspects of xenobiotic metabolism and related toxicity.
Hammond, A.H., Garle, M.J. and Fry, J.R.
ATLA, 27, 111-119 (1999).
LiverBeadsTM are made of hepatocytes that are immobilised and cryopreserved in alginate gel. They have great potential as an easily transportable and easily handled source of hepatocytes for use in in vitro pharmacotoxicology. In this study, we compared the drug metabolising capacity of LiverBeads in culture with that of conventional cultures and of cultures derived from cryopreserved cells. Trypan blue exclusion, lactate dehydrogenase and DNA content were measured in LiverBead cultures. The levels were all similar to those of the conventional cultures, as were the toxicities of precocene II and allyl alcohol, although more variability was seen in the LiverBeads than in the conventional cultures. The cytochrome P450-dependent activity 3,4-dimethyl-7-