This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (Grant 5R01HD095512-02 to S.W.).

All procedures were approved by the Johns Hopkins Animal Care and Use Committee. C57BL/6 female mice (8-week old) were used in this study.
1. Preparation:
<ol>
	<li>Mix William&#39;s E Medium (GlutaMAX Supplement) with 10% FBS and 1% antibiotic-antimycotic solution to make the culture medium.</li>
	<li>Filter 25 mL of collagenase-dispase medium (e.g., Liver Digest Medium) through a 0.45 &#181;m syringe filter to remove particle debris.</li>
	<li>Warm 50 mL of double-distilled H2O (ddH2O), 35 mL of perfusion Medium (e.g., Liver Perfusion Medium) (or 50 mL at the first time using this protocol), and 25 mL of filtered collagenase-dispase medium in a 45 &#176;C water bath for 30 min.</li>
	<li>Within a sterile tissue culture hood, mix 2 mL of 10x HBSS and 18 mL of Percoll in a 50 mL tube to make 20 mL 1x Percoll-HBSS and keep on ice or 4 &#176;C. 
	NOTE: 1x Percoll-HBSS can be kept at 4 &#176;C for at least 6 months.</li>
	<li>Within a sterile tissue culture hood, pour 30 mL of wash medium (e.g., Hepatocyte Wash Medium) into a clean Petri dish, and keep on ice.</li>
	<li>Submerge the pumping tube in the water of a 45 &#176;C water bath. Results are most reliable if the room temperature is at 25 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Prepare 2 mL of 1x anesthetics by mixing 225 &#181;L of Ketamine HCL, 93.75 &#181;L of Xylazine, and 1681 &#181;L of 1x PBS.</li>
	<li>Anesthetize one mouse using an approved method. Here the mouse was intraperitoneally injected with 150 &#181;L of 1x anesthetics. Perform the tests for loss of reflexes such as reaction to toe pinching to ensure full anesthesia.</li>
	<li>Secure the mouse on its back onto the dissection pad by four limbs, by either pining or using water-proof tape or other methods approved by the institution&#39;s Animal Care and Use Committee (or equivalents).</li>
	<li>Prepare sterilized forceps and scissors for dissection. To avoid possible contamination, conduct all steps within a sterile hood.</li>
</ol>
2. Procedure:
<ol>
	<li>Using a peristaltic pump, start pumping warmed-up ddH2O at a speed of 4 mL/min for 5 min. Change the pumping tube from water to a warmed-up perfusion medium.</li>
	<li>Disinfect the anesthetized mouse&#39;s abdomen with 70% EtOH and cut open with a scissor to expose the liver, portal vein, and inferior vena cava (IVC).</li>
	<li>Stop the peristaltic pump. Insert a 24 G catheter (e.g., Closed IV Catheter, 24 G, 0.75 IN) into IVC. Start pumping and cut the portal vein open.</li>
	<li>Continue pumping until the flushed-out liquid is clear (around 3-5 min). Press the portal vein every minute to let liquid reach every corner of the liver. Be careful not to let air bubbles enter the IVC. 
	NOTE: This step is to flush out as much blood as possible from the liver.</li>
	<li>Change the pumping tube from the perfusion medium to the collagenase-dispase medium. Continue pumping until all 25 mL of the collagenase-dispase medium is depleted while doing step 2.6.</li>
	<li>Press the portal vein every minute to let liquid reach every corner of the liver. 
	NOTE: At this stage, the complete loss of blood is fatal to the mouse. The death of the mouse can be confirmed by a lack of heartbeat after the experiment. Dispose of the carcass as per facility policies.</li>
	<li>Isolate the whole liver out without gallbladder to the 30 mL wash medium in the Petri dish on ice.</li>
	<li>Tear it up into pieces with forceps to release primary hepatocytes into solution. This step would turn the wash medium into a cloudy solution full of released primary hepatocytes and small liver pieces.</li>
	<li>Filter the cloudy solution in step 2.8 through a 70 &#181;m cell strainer into the 20 mL 1x Percoll-HBSS in a 50 mL tube on ice. Mix by inverting the tube 20 times.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge at 300 x g for 10 min at 4 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Within the tissue culture hood, aspirate the supernatant. Wash the pellet with cold 30 mL of wash medium.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge at 50 x g for 5 min at 4 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Remove the supernatant and resuspend the pellet in 25 mL of the culture medium (or appropriate other volumes) within the tissue culture hood.</li>
	<li>Count the cell number and plate the cells on desired culture plates according to the experimental design. 
	NOTE: Primary hepatocytes properly isolated from one 8-week-old mouse are usually sufficient to be plated on four 6-well plates or four 12-well plates.</li>
</ol>

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The authors have nothing to disclose.

Various primary hepatocyte isolation protocols have been developed. They also have been kept optimized and adapted based on different needs (Table 1). Isolation protocols are generally composed of two parts: perfusion (including enzyme digestion) and purification.
The perfusion can be performed with the entire liver in vivo2,20,21,22,23 or with dissected liver lobes24. The perfusion of dissected lobes was generally restricted to the left and medium lobes for technical ease. Theoretically, in vivo perfusion should yield more primary hepatocytes due to the usage of the entire liver with all lobes. Keeping the liver in place during perfusion may also reduce cell death since hepatocytes in vivo can be bathed in fluid, either blood or perfusion buffers, at all times during this step.
The maintenance of sterile conditions also plays an important role in this step. If the condition permits, it is better to conduct perfusion in a clean hood. All the tools with direct touch to tissues should be sterile, which can be achieved by autoclave. In order to prevent any contamination from bacteria and fungi, an antibiotic-antimycotic solution was added into the culture medium.
The IVC and portal vein are two main vessels connecting the liver with other organs. Most protocols utilize either of these veins to insert needles for perfusion: IVC2,20,21,23, portal vein22. The position of the portal vein is at a skewed angle, which leads to difficulty in positioning and stabilizing the inserted needle. A suture is thus usually needed to tie the needle in place with a surgical knot, which must be done very carefully as the vein is prone to damage. Generally, the diameter of the portal vein is also smaller than IVC, complicating needle insertion. Considering this, the use of IVC can be more convenient, although in some protocols, the needle is also surgically knotted to the IVC20. It has been reported that perfusion with IVC insertion resulted in less viable primary hepatocytes than portal vein25. However, in the present protocol, we successfully used IVC insertion, and the isolated primary hepatocyte viability (&#62;96% in optimized conditions, measured with Trypan Blue staining according to manufacturer&#39;s protocol) was as high, if not more, as other protocols (varies between 80% and 96% based on protocols and conditions2,22,23,24).
There are two aims for the perfusion step: to flush blood out of liver lobes and digest the liver to release primary hepatocytes. In order to achieve these objectives, at least two buffers should be used, one for blood flux (Flux Buffer), and one for digestion (Digestion Buffer). Most of the protocols prepare HBSS-based Flux Buffer and add collagenase within to make it capable for digestion, as Digestion Buffer. The preparation of these buffers is time-consuming, and the buffers could vary slightly in some delicate properties, like pH, from batch to batch, therefore introducing uninvited variables. Considering this, utilizing commercially available buffers saves valuable labor and time while minimizing these variables. Gibco developed a protocol for primary hepatocyte isolation from adult rats26, based on the use of commercially available Liver Perfusion Medium (as Flux Buffer), and Liver Digestion Medium (as Digestion Buffer). Mouse and rat, as rodents, share high similarities in body properties; one may integrate these two rat-optimized buffers into mouse primary hepatocyte isolation. Indeed, Gon&#231;alves et al.24, successfully carried out the perfusion of dissected liver lobes with these buffers, raising the promise of their use in liver perfusion in vivo. Here we successfully tested Liver Perfusion Medium and Liver Digestion Medium in the present mouse primary hepatocyte protocol, which yielded high-quality viable primary hepatocytes (Figure 3 and Figure 4).
The temperature of the perfusion buffer determines how well primary hepatocytes survive the isolation. If the temperature is too high, the collagenase within Digestion Buffer may have reduced activity; if too low, the primary hepatocytes may suffer cold shock, causing possible compromised isolation yield. The time that buffer takes to flow through perfusion tubing also determines the temperature of buffer when it reaches the liver. In previous protocols, 40 &#176;C2 or 42 &#176;C21 water bath was used. This temperature may be subject to change based on lab conditions, like the environment temperature, length of the perfusion tube, and the type of Peristaltic Pump. In the present protocol, after multiple times of testing, we optimized the water bath temperature to be 45 &#176;C to warm up the buffers.
The purity of isolated primary hepatocytes plays an important role in subsequent experiments, as the higher the purity ratio, the less possible interference. Although the liver is mainly composed of hepatocytes, accounting for 60%-80% by mass27, various types of other cells are also present, like immune cells, stellate cells, and endothelial cells, which are important for hepatic immunological activities. Each of these cells could post a potential interference in later-on experiments28. For instance, stellate cells in the liver also respond to pathogen invasions and liver injuries, involving in scar formation29. In numbers, 5%-8% of the total hepatic cell population is contributed by stellate cells30. Normally, stellate cells are in quiescence, but this status can be broken when stresses are present. Therefore, stellate cell activities may be triggered by stresses introduced during isolation or subsequent treatment if some of these cells remain in the final isolated primary hepatocyte pool. Other types of cells also contribute to a considerable portion of the hepatic cell population, like liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs), accounting for 20% of the total hepatic cell population31. How to eliminate the presence of these cells has been a puzzling part in primary hepatocyte isolation process. Therefore, purification is a key part in primary hepatocyte isolation, which usually takes advantages of the weight and size differences between different types of cells. By optimizing the centrifuge speed and/or purification buffer, primary hepatocytes can be pelleted down to the bottom of the tube.
Separating live cells from dead cells is also critical in obtaining healthy primary hepatocytes and accurate cell counting. Usually, counting cell number is a must after purification since the results of numerous experiments vary as cell confluence changes. Gradient centrifuge reagents can be used in this step to fulfill this mission, like Percoll. 36%-40% of Percoll in centrifuge pellets down live cells and keeps dead cells in supernatant. We successfully optimized centrifugation speed and time to reduce the non-primary hepatocyte cell population in the present protocol. Cell type-specific markers were used to test the purity of isolated primary hepatocytes here, like other protocols. The hepatocyte markers used here were TTR2, CD9524,32, ASGR133, and ASGR234. Markers for other types of cells include CD45 (immune cell marker), COL1A1 (Stellate cell marker), TIE2 (Endothelial cell marker)2,35. With these markers, the primary hepatocytes isolated with the present protocol showed a high level of purity (Figure 4), comparable to the previous protocols2,24.
During perfusion, collagenase in Digestion Buffer loosens attachment between cells by breaking down collagen within the extracellular matrix. This leads to difficulty in cell attainment during plating. Most of the previous protocols require/recommend pre-coating of plates with collagen2,22 or gelatine24 for better attachment of primary hepatocytes. To our knowledge, while Salem et al.21 and Li et al.20 did not discuss this step, other protocols assessed in this study clearly stated/recommended the usage of pre-coated plates2,22,23,24. In the present protocol, we found that the plate coating was not required for plates of certain types. While we are not sure whether this was because different types of plates, especially if they are from different manufacturers, have different surface smoothness, and whether this varied smoothness, if ever exists, plays an important role in primary hepatocyte attachment, it is beneficial to note so that another step (plate-coating) could be skipped for efficacy. It is also important to note that this protocol generates a significant proportion of terminally differentiated, e.g., diploid hepatocytes, along with mononuclear hepatocytes, similar to in vivo hepatic sinusoid.
In this study, the advantages of previous primary hepatocyte isolation protocols were combined, and the process was simplified as much as possible, using commercially available reagents and eliminating unnecessary steps. The centrifugation steps were successfully reduced to two, which is, to our knowledge, the fewest in published protocols. To confirm the purity and bioactivity of isolated primary hepatocytes, the level of various hepatic cell markers was assessed, confirming that the present protocol could greatly enhance primary hepatocyte purity and reduce other hepatic cell populations, such as immune cells, stellate cells, and endothelial cells. The activity of pharmaceutical biomarkers like ASGR1, ASGR2, CD81, and TLR4 was well-preserved in primary hepatocytes isolated with present protocol, which also had confirmed insulin sensitivity and glucose production activity. The main limitation of this protocol is the expense since all reagents were purchased commercially for efficiency. We did not specifically verify that glycogenosis was intact in primary hepatocytes isolated using the present protocol, and this may need further research for related studies. This protocol has similar perfusion steps to previous ones, like Salem et al.21, Severgnini et al.2 and Li et al.20, and Korelova et al.23, using IVC insertion. Their perfusion and digestion buffers, which may require extra labor to prepare, may also work with the present protocol with little modification of enzyme digestion time. Therefore, combining reagents of prior protocols with steps of the present protocol may also be beneficial, both time- and economically friendly.
In summary, an improved time- and labor-efficient protocol for primary hepatocyte isolation from mouse liver was developed. This protocol utilizes commercially available reagents entirely and can be completed in ~35 min, from dissecting mouse to plating primary hepatocytes, thus providing a useful technique to primary hepatocyte-related studies.

The liver serves as one of the most important organs in the vertebrate body due to the vital role it plays in numerous life-supporting functions like food digestion, blood circulation, and detoxification. Usage of mouse primary hepatocyte in vitro culture is increasingly popular in studies of carbohydrate metabolism and hepatic carcinoma. Therefore, it is important to develop a convenient method for mouse primary hepatocyte isolation while maintaining its innate physiological function. Due to its function as a hub of glucose metabolism, the liver is also central to glucose production and storage1. Experiments with primary hepatocytes in vitro are a must to most glucose metabolism studies. Therefore, for years, various research groups have developed protocols for mouse primary hepatocyte isolation.
The general procedure of mouse hepatocyte isolation is to first flush out blood in the liver with an isosmotic liquid such as phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or Hanks&#39; Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) and then use collagenase-containing solution to dissociate hepatocytes. These protocols share a general procedure but differ in reagents and steps based on different needs. However, preparing required reagents and performing isolation steps take time. In developing the present protocol, efficiency was set as a priority, with all reagents ready-to-use and available from the market, and as few steps as possible. The overall goal of this protocol is to provide a fast and labor-efficient method to isolate primary hepatocytes from mouse, without jeopardizing the isolated primary hepatocyte purity and viability.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>1x PBS</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>10010023</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>10x HBSS</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>14065-056</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>12-well Plate</td>
			<td>FALCON</td>
			<td>353043</td>
			<td>Coating not required</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>6-well Plate</td>
			<td>FALCON</td>
			<td>353046</td>
			<td>Coating not required</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-AKT</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>2920S</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Antibiotic Antimycotic Solution (100x), Stabilized</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>A5955</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-FOXO1</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>97635S</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-GAPDH</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>2118S</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-p-AKT (S473)</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>9271L</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-PEPCK</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz</td>
			<td>SC-166778</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-p-FOXO1 (S256)</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>84192S</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell Strainer, 70 &#181;m</td>
			<td>CELLTREAT</td>
			<td>229483</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Closed IV Catheter, 24 Gauge 0.75 IN</td>
			<td>Becton Dickinson</td>
			<td>383511</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DMEM, no glucose, no glutamine, no phenol red</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>A1443001</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EnzyChrom Glucose Assay Kit</td>
			<td>BioAssay Systems</td>
			<td>EBGL-100</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS)</td>
			<td>Hyclone</td>
			<td>SH30071.03</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Forskolin</td>
			<td>MilliporeSigma</td>
			<td>F3917-10MG</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glucagon</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>G2044</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Goat Anti-mouse IgG Secondary Antibody</td>
			<td>LI-COR</td>
			<td>926-68070</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Goat Anti-rabbit IgG Secondary Antibody</td>
			<td>LI-COR</td>
			<td>926-32211</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GraphPad Prism 8</td>
			<td>GraphPad Software</td>
			<td>NA</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hepatocyte Wash Medium</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>17704-024</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>IBMX</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>13630S</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Insulin</td>
			<td>Lilly</td>
			<td>NDC 0002-8215-01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ketamine HCL (100 mg/mL)</td>
			<td>Hospira Inc</td>
			<td>NDC 0409-2051-05</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>L-Glutamine</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>25030081</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Liver Digest MA2:D30edium</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>17703-034</td>
			<td>Aliquot within tissue culture hood to 25 mL each in 50 mL tube, and keep in -20 &#176;C freezer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Liver Perfusion Medium</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>17701-038</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pen Strep</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>15140122</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Percoll</td>
			<td>GE Healthcare</td>
			<td>17-0891-01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Peristaltic Pump</td>
			<td>Gilson</td>
			<td>Minipuls 2</td>
			<td>Capable of pumping at 4 mL/min</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Petri Dish</td>
			<td>Fisherbrand</td>
			<td>08-757-12</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Refrigerated Centrifuge</td>
			<td>Sorvall</td>
			<td>Legend RT</td>
			<td>Capable to centrifuge 50 mL tube at 4 &#176;C</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium L-Lactate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>L7022</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Pyruvate</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>11360070</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Syringe Filter, PVDF 0.45 &#181;m 30mm diameter</td>
			<td>CELLTREAT</td>
			<td>229745</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Syringe, 0.5 mL</td>
			<td>Becton Dickinson</td>
			<td>329461</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Syringe, 60 mL</td>
			<td>Becton Dickinson</td>
			<td>309653</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypan Blue Solution, 0.4%</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>15250061</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tube, 15 mL</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>430052</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tube, 50 mL</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>430290</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Water Bath Tank</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>CLS6783</td>
			<td>Or any water bath tank capable of heating up to 45 &#176;C</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>William&#8217;s E Medium (GlutaMAX Supplement)</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>32551020</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Xylozine (100 mg/mL)</td>
			<td>Vetone Anased LA</td>
			<td>NDC13985-704-10</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

an improved time- and labor- efficient protocol for mouse primary hepatocyte isolation

Primary hepatocytes are used extensively in liver in vitro research, especially in glucose metabolism studies. A base technique has been adapted based on different needs, like time, labor, cost, and primary hepatocyte usage, resulting in various primary hepatocyte isolation protocols. However, the numerous steps and time-consuming reagent preparations in primary hepatocyte isolation are major drawbacks for efficiency. After comparing different protocols for their pros and cons, the advantages of each were combined, and a rapid and efficient primary hepatocyte isolation protocol was formulated. Within only ~35 min, this protocol could yield as much, if not more, healthy primary hepatocytes as other protocols. Further, glucose metabolism experiments performed using the isolated primary hepatocytes validated the usefulness of this protocol in in vitro liver metabolism studies. We also extensively reviewed and analyzed the significance and purpose of each step in this study so that future researchers can further optimize this protocol based on needs.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about An Improved Time- and Labor- Efficient Protocol for Mouse Primary Hepatocyte Isolation at JoVE.com

An Improved Time- and Labor- Efficient Protocol for Mouse Primary Hepatocyte Isolation

Primary hepatocytes are a valuable tool to study liver response and metabolism in vitro. Utilizing commercially available reagents, an improved time- and labor-efficient protocol for mouse primary hepatocyte isolation was developed.

Primary hepatocytes are used extensively in liver in vitro research, especially in glucose metabolism studies. A base technique has been adapted based on ...

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Nanyang Technological University

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JoVE Journal

Biology

9.4K Views.  Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Primary hepatocytes are a valuable tool to study liver response and metabolism in vitro. Utilizing commercially available reagents, an improved time- and labor-efficient protocol for mouse primary hepatocyte isolation was developed.

Video: An Improved Time- and Labor- Efficient Protocol for Mouse Primary Hepatocyte Isolation

Neutrophil Isolation Protocol

Neutrophil polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMN) are the most abundant leukocytes in humans and among the first cells to arrive on the site of inflammatory immune response. Due to their key role in inflammation, neutrophil functions such as locomotion, cytokine production, phagocytosis, and tumor cell combat are extensively studied. To characterize the specific functions of neutrophils, a clean, fast, and reliable method of separating them from other blood cells is desirable for in vitro studies, especially since neutrophils are short-lived and should be used within 2-4 hours of collection. Here, we demonstrate a standard density gradient separation method to isolate human neutrophils from whole blood using commercially available separation media that is a mixture of sodium metrizoate and Dextran 500. The procedure consists of layering whole blood over the density gradient medium, centrifugation, separation of neutrophil layer, and lysis of residual erythrocytes. Cells are then washed, counted, and resuspended in buffer to desired concentration. When performed correctly, this method has been shown to yield samples of >95% neutrophils with >95% viability.

Neutrophils are among the first cells to arrive on the site of inflammatory immune response, and their functions and mechanisms have been studied extensively in vitro. We demonstrate a standard density gradient separation method to isolate human neutrophils from whole blood using commercially available separation media.

Neutrophil polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMN) are the most abundant leukocytes in humans and among the first cells to arrive on the site of inflammatory ...

In vivo Imaging and Therapeutic Treatments in an Orthotopic Mouse Model of Ovarian Cancer

Human cancer and response to therapy is better represented in orthotopic animal models. This paper describes the development of an orthotopic mouse model of ovarian cancer, treatment of cancer via oral delivery of drugs, and monitoring of tumor cell behavior in response to drug treatment in real time using in vivo imaging system. In this orthotopic model, ovarian tumor cells expressing luciferase are applied topically by injecting them directly into the mouse bursa where each ovary is enclosed. Upon injection of D-luciferin, a substrate of firefly luciferase, luciferase-expressing cells generate bioluminescence signals. This signal is detected by the in vivo imaging system and allows for a non-invasive means of monitoring tumor growth, distribution, and regression in individual animals. Drug administration via oral gavage allows for a maximum dosing volume of 10 mL/kg body weight to be delivered directly to the stomach and closely resembles delivery of drugs in clinical treatments. Therefore, techniques described here, development of an orthotopic mouse model of ovarian cancer, oral delivery of drugs, and in vivo imaging, are useful for better understanding of human ovarian cancer and treatment and will improve targeting this disease.

In vivo Imaging and Therapeutic Treatments in an Orthotopic Mouse Model of Ovarian Cancer

Orthotopic animal models of ovarian cancer replicate better human disease and therefore enhance our understanding of cancer progression and tumor response to therapy. A mouse model receives an intrabursal injection of luciferase-expressing ovarian tumor cells. Treatment is administered via oral gavage. Tumor growth is monitored by in vivo imaging system.

Human cancer and response to therapy is better represented in orthotopic animal models.  This paper describes the development of an orthotopic mouse model ...

Isolation of Primary Mouse Trophoblast Cells and Trophoblast Invasion Assay

The placenta is responsible for the transport of nutrients, gasses and growth factors to the fetus, as well as the elimination of wastes. 
Thus, defects in placental development have important consequences for the fetus and mother, and are a major cause of embryonic lethality. The major cell type of the 
fetal portion of the placenta is the trophoblast. Primary mouse placental trophoblast cells are a useful tool for studying normal and abnormal placental development, 
and unlike cell lines, may be isolated and used to study trophoblast at specific stages of pregnancy. In addition, primary cultures of trophoblast from transgenic
mice may be used to study the role of particular genes in placental cells. The protocol presented here is based on the description by Thordarson et al.1, in which a 
percoll gradient is used to obtain a relatively pure trophoblast cell population from isolated mouse placentas. It is similar to the more widely used methods for 
human trophoblast cell isolation2-3. Purity may be assessed by immunocytochemical staining of the isolated cells for cytokeratin 74. Here, the isolated cells are 
then analyzed using a matrigel invasion assay to assess trophoblast invasiveness in vitro5-6. The invaded cells are analyzed by immunocytochemistry and stained 
for counting.

In this protocol, we describe the dissection of placentae from the mouse on pregnancy d10.5, followed by isolation of trophoblast cells using a Percoll gradient. We then demonstrate use of the isolated cells in a matrigel invasion assay.

The placenta is responsible for the transport of nutrients, gasses and growth factors to the fetus, as well as the elimination of wastes.  
Thus, defects ...

Isolation and Culture of Mouse Primary Pancreatic Acinar Cells

This protocol permits rapid isolation (in less than 1 hr) of murine pancreatic acini, making it possible to maintain them in culture for more than one week. More than 20 x 106 acinar cells can be obtained from a single murine pancreas. This protocol offers the possibility to independently process as many as 10 pancreases in parallel. Because it preserves acinar architecture, this model is well suited for studying the physiology of the exocrine pancreas in vitro in contrast to cell lines established from pancreatic tumors, which display many genetic alterations resulting in partial or total loss of their acinar differentiation.

In this publication, we describe a rapid and convenient procedure for isolating and culturing primary pancreatic acinar cells from the murine pancreas. This method constitutes a valuable approach to study the physiology of fresh primary normal/untransformed exocrine pancreatic cells.

This protocol permits rapid isolation (in less than 1 hr) of murine pancreatic acini, making it possible to maintain them in culture for more than one ...

Isolation of Primary Myofibroblasts from Mouse and Human Colon Tissue

The myofibroblast is a stromal cell of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that has been gaining considerable attention for its critical role in many GI functions. While several myofibroblast cell lines are commercially available to study these cells in vitro, research results from a cell line exposed to experimental cell culture conditions have inherent limitations due to the overly reductionist nature of the work. Use of primary myofibroblasts offers a great advantage in terms of confirming experimental findings identified in a cell line. Isolation of primary myofibroblasts from an animal model allows for the study of myofibroblasts under conditions that more closely mimic the disease state being studied. Isolation of primary myofibroblasts from human colon tissue provides arguably the most relevant experimental data, since the cells come directly from patients with the underlying disease. We describe a well-established technique that can be utilized to isolate primary myofibroblasts from both mouse and human colon tissue. These isolated cells have been characterized to be alpha-smooth muscle actin and vimentin-positive, and desmin-negative, consistent with subepithelial intestinal myofibroblasts. Primary myofibroblast cells can be grown in cell culture and used for experimental purposes over a limited number of passages.

The myofibroblast is an influential stromal cell of the gastrointestinal tract that regulates important physiologic processes in both normal and disease states. We describe a technique that allows for the isolation of primary myofibroblasts from both mouse and human colon tissue, which can be utilized for in vitro experimentation.

The myofibroblast is  a stromal cell of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that has been gaining  considerable attention for its critical role in many GI ...

Isolation and Primary Culture of Mouse Aortic Endothelial Cells

The vascular endothelium is essential to normal vascular homeostasis. Its dysfunction participates in various cardiovascular disorders. The mouse is an important model for cardiovascular disease research. This study demonstrates a simple method to isolate and culture endothelial cells from the mouse aorta without any special equipment. To isolate endothelial cells, the thoracic aorta is quickly removed from the mouse body, and the attached adipose tissue and connective tissue are removed from the aorta. The aorta is cut into 1 mm rings. Each aortic ring is opened and seeded onto a growth factor reduced matrix with the endothelium facing down. The segments are cultured in endothelial cell growth medium for about 4 days. The endothelial sprouting starts as early as day 2. The segments are then removed and the cells are cultured continually until they reach confluence. The endothelial cells are harvested using neutral proteinase and cultured in endothelial cell growth medium for another two passages before being used for experiments. Immunofluorescence staining indicated that after the second passage the majority of cells were double positive for Dil-ac-LDL uptake, Lectin binding, and CD31 staining, the typical characteristics of endothelial cells. It is suggested that cells at the second to third passages are suitable for in vitro and in vivo experiments to study the endothelial biology. Our protocol provides an effective means of identifying specific cellular and molecular mechanisms in endothelial cell physiopathology.

The vascular endothelial cells play a significant role in many important cardiovascular disorders. This article describes a simple method to isolate and expand endothelial cells from the mouse aorta without using any special equipment. Our protocol provides an effective means of identifying mechanisms in endothelial cell physiopathology.

The vascular endothelium is essential to normal vascular homeostasis. Its dysfunction participates in various cardiovascular disorders. The mouse is an ...

Protocol for Isolation of Primary Human Hepatocytes and Corresponding Major Populations of Non-parenchymal Liver Cells

Beside parenchymal hepatocytes, the liver consists of non-parenchymal cells (NPC) namely Kupffer cells (KC), liver endothelial cells (LEC) and hepatic Stellate cells (HSC). Two-dimensional (2D) culture of primary human hepatocyte (PHH) is still considered as the &#34;gold standard&#34; for in vitro testing of drug metabolism and hepatotoxicity. It is well-known that the 2D monoculture of PHH suffers from dedifferentiation and loss of function. Recently it was shown that hepatic NPC play a central role in liver (patho-) physiology and the maintenance of PHH functions. Current research focuses on the reconstruction of in vivo tissue architecture by 3D- and co-culture models to overcome the limitations of 2D monocultures. Previously we published a method to isolate human liver cells and investigated the suitability of these cells for their use in cell cultures in Experimental Biology and Medicine1. Based on the broad interest in this technique the aim of this article was to provide a more detailed protocol for the liver cell isolation process including a video, which will allow an easy reproduction of this technique.
Human liver cells were isolated from human liver tissue samples of surgical interventions by a two-step EGTA/collagenase P perfusion technique. PHH were separated from the NPC by an initial centrifugation at 50 x g. Density gradient centrifugation steps were used for removal of dead cells. Individual liver cell populations were isolated from the enriched NPC fraction using specific cell properties and cell sorting procedures. Beside the PHH isolation we were able to separate KC, LEC and HSC for further cultivation.
Taken together, the presented protocol allows the isolation of PHH and NPC in high quality and quantity from one donor tissue sample. The access to purified liver cell populations could allow the creation of in vivo like human liver models.

A technique to isolate human hepatocytes and non-parenchymal liver cells from the same donor is described. The different liver cell types build the basis for functional liver models and tissue engineering. This new method aims to isolate liver cells in a high yield and viability.

Beside parenchymal hepatocytes, the liver consists of non-parenchymal cells (NPC) namely Kupffer cells (KC), liver endothelial cells (LEC) and hepatic ...

Isolation and Culture of Primary Mouse Keratinocytes from Neonatal and Adult Mouse Skin

The keratinocyte (KC) is the predominant cell type in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Epidermal KCs play a critical role in providing skin defense by forming an intact skin barrier against environmental insults, such as UVB irradiation or pathogens, and also by initiating an inflammatory response upon those insults. Here we describe methods to isolate KCs from neonatal mouse skin and from adult mouse tail skin. We also describe culturing conditions using defined growth supplements (dGS) in comparison to chelexed fetal bovine serum (cFBS). Functionally, we show that both neonatal and adult KCs are highly responsive to high calcium-induced terminal differentiation, tight junction formation and stratification. Additionally, cultured adult KCs are susceptible to UVB-triggered cell death and can release large amounts of TNF upon UVB irradiation. Together, the methods described here will be useful to researchers for the setup of in vitro models to study epidermal biology in the neonatal mouse and/or the adult mouse.

Epidermal keratinocytes form a functional skin barrier and are positioned at the front line of host defense against external environmental insults. Here we describe methods for isolation and primary culture of epidermal keratinocytes from neonatal and adult mouse skin, and induction of terminal differentiation and UVB-triggered inflammatory response from keratinocytes.

The keratinocyte (KC) is the predominant cell type in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Epidermal KCs play a critical role in providing skin ...

Efficient Dissection and Culture of Primary Mouse Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

Eye disorders affect millions of people worldwide, but the limited availability of human tissues hinders their study. Mouse models are powerful tools to understand the pathophysiology of ocular diseases because of their similarities with human anatomy and physiology. Alterations in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), including changes in morphology and function, are common features shared by many ocular disorders. However, successful isolation and culture of primary mouse RPE cells is very challenging. This paper is an updated audiovisual version of the protocol previously published by Fernandez-Godino et al. in 2016 to efficiently isolate and culture primary mouse RPE cells. This method is highly reproducible and results in robust cultures of highly polarized and pigmented RPE monolayers that can be maintained for several weeks on Transwells. This model opens new avenues for the study of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying eye diseases. Moreover, it provides a platform to test therapeutic approaches that can be used to treat important eye diseases with unmet medical needs, including inherited retinal disorders and macular degenerations.

This protocol, which was originally reported by Fernandez-Godino et al. in 20161, describes a method to efficiently isolate and culture mouse RPE cells, which form a functional and polarized RPE monolayer within one week on Transwell plates. The procedure takes approximately 3 hours.

Eye disorders affect millions of people worldwide, but the limited availability of human tissues hinders their study. Mouse models are powerful tools to ...

Isolation and Culture of Primary Oral Keratinocytes from the Adult Mouse Palate

For years, most studies involving keratinocytes have been conducted using human and mouse skin epidermal keratinocytes. Recently, oral keratinocytes have attracted attention because of their unique function and characteristics. They maintain the homeostasis of the oral epithelium and serve as resources for applications in regenerative therapies. However, in vitro studies that use oral primary keratinocytes from adult mice have been limited due to the lack of an efficient and well-established culture protocol. Here, oral primary keratinocytes were isolated from the palate tissues of adult mice and cultured in a commercial low-calcium medium supplemented with a chelexed-serum. Under these conditions, keratinocytes were maintained in a proliferative or stem cell-like state, and their differentiation was inhibited even after increased passages. Marker expression analysis showed that the cultured oral keratinocytes expressed the basal cell markers p63, K14, and &#945;6-integrin and were negative for the differentiation marker K13 and the fibroblast marker PDGFR&#945;. This method produced viable and culturable cells suitable for downstream applications in the study of oral epithelial stem cell functions in vitro.

The present protocol describes the isolation and culture of oral keratinocytes derived from the adult mouse palate. An evaluation method using immunostaining is also reported.

For years, most studies involving keratinocytes have been conducted using human and mouse skin epidermal keratinocytes. Recently, oral keratinocytes have ...

An Improved Time- and Labor- Efficient Protocol for Mouse Primary Hepatocyte Isolation

Summary

Explore More Videos

Chapters in this video

Neutrophil Isolation Protocol

In vivo Imaging and Therapeutic Treatments in an Orthotopic Mouse Model of Ovarian Cancer

Isolation of Primary Mouse Trophoblast Cells and Trophoblast Invasion Assay

Isolation and Culture of Mouse Primary Pancreatic Acinar Cells

Isolation of Primary Myofibroblasts from Mouse and Human Colon Tissue

Isolation and Primary Culture of Mouse Aortic Endothelial Cells

Protocol for Isolation of Primary Human Hepatocytes and Corresponding Major Populations of Non-parenchymal Liver Cells

Isolation and Culture of Primary Mouse Keratinocytes from Neonatal and Adult Mouse Skin

Efficient Dissection and Culture of Primary Mouse Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

Isolation and Culture of Primary Oral Keratinocytes from the Adult Mouse Palate