Hepatoprotectant is critical for the treatment of liver disease. This study first reported the application of a liver chip in the hepatoprotective effect assessment. We first established a biomimetic sinusoid-on-a-chip by laminating four types of hepatic cell lines (HepG2, HUVEC, LX-2, and U937 cells) in a single microchannel with the help of laminar flow in the microchannel and some micro-fences. This chip was straightforward to fabricate and operate and was able to be long-term cultured. It also demonstrated better hepatic activity (cell viability, albumin synthesis, urea secretion, and cytochrome P450 enzyme activities) over the traditional planar cell culture model. Then, we loaded three hepatoprotectants (tiopronin, bifendatatum, and glycyrrhizinate) into the chip followed by the addition of acetaminophen as a toxin. We successfully observed the hepatoprotective effect of these hepatoprotectants in the chip, and we also found that bifendatatum predominantly reduced alanine transaminase secretion, tiopronin predominantly reduced lactate dehydrogenase secretion, and glycyrrhizinate predominantly reduced aspartate transaminase secretion, which revealed the different mechanisms of these hepatoprotectants and provided a clue for following molecular biological study of the protecting mechanism.
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November 2020
Research Article|
November 30 2020
A liver-on-a-chip for hepatoprotective activity assessment
Jiu Deng;
Jiu Deng
1
State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology
, 116024 Dalian, China
2
Biotechnologhy Division, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, 116023 Dalian, China
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Ye Cong;
Ye Cong
1
State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology
, 116024 Dalian, China
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Xiahe Han;
Xiahe Han
3
College of Pharmaceutical Science, Soochow University
, 215123 Suzhou, China
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Wenbo Wei;
Wenbo Wei
4
Shenzhen Institute of Geriatrics & Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University
, 518000 Shenzhen, China
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Yao Lu;
Yao Lu
2
Biotechnologhy Division, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, 116023 Dalian, China
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Tingjiao Liu;
Tingjiao Liu
5
College of Stomatology, Dalian Medical University
, 116044 Dalian, China
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Weijie Zhao;
Weijie Zhao
1
State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology
, 116024 Dalian, China
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Bingcheng Lin;
Bingcheng Lin
2
Biotechnologhy Division, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, 116023 Dalian, China
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Yong Luo
;
Yong Luo
a)
1
State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology
, 116024 Dalian, China
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Xiuli Zhang
Xiuli Zhang
a)
3
College of Pharmaceutical Science, Soochow University
, 215123 Suzhou, China
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Biomicrofluidics 14, 064107 (2020)
Article history
Received:
August 11 2020
Accepted:
November 14 2020
Citation
Jiu Deng, Ye Cong, Xiahe Han, Wenbo Wei, Yao Lu, Tingjiao Liu, Weijie Zhao, Bingcheng Lin, Yong Luo, Xiuli Zhang; A liver-on-a-chip for hepatoprotective activity assessment. Biomicrofluidics 1 November 2020; 14 (6): 064107. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0024767
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