Journal: bioRxiv
Article Title: Paracrine Factor Local Gradient-Generating System for Engineering Perfusable Vascularized Hepatocyte Tissues with Perfusion-Induced Proliferation
doi: 10.1101/2025.11.10.687539
Figure Lengend Snippet: A: Schematic illustrations of static and perfusion culture conditions. Cells were cultured with hLF cryogels (hLF(+)) until day 3. From day 3 to day 7, some cells were cultured without hLF cryogels (hLF(−)) under either static (0 mmH 2 O) or perfusion (1 or 2 mmH 2 O) conditions. B: Immunofluorescence projection images of vascularized hepatocyte tissue under static and perfusion culture. Projection images were constructed from Z-stack confocal images. Blue: cell nuclei (Hoechst 33342), green: F-actin (Alexa Fluor 488-phalloidin), red: HUVECs (CD31), yellow: proliferating cell nuclei (Ki67). Arrowheads indicate Ki67-positive proliferating hepatocytes. Asterisks indicate bile canaliculi-like structures, showing double-layered F-actin between hepatocytes. Scale bars, 50 µm. C: Representative immunofluorescence images showing Ki67-positive rHeps undergoing mitosis. Arrowheads indicate both interphase nuclei and mitotic chromosomal dynamics. Blue: cell nuclei (Hoechst 33342), green: F-actin (Alexa Fluor 488-phalloidin), red: HUVECs (CD31), yellow: proliferating cell nuclei (Ki67). D: Quantification of the ratio of Ki67-positive rHeps. Data are presented as mean ± SD. * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001 (One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD test).
Article Snippet: Samples were then incubated overnight at 4°C with the following primary antibodies: sheep anti-PECAM-1 (CD31) (AF806, R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA) to label HUVECs; mouse anti-multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) (NBP1-42349, Novus Biologicals, Centennial, CO, USA) to visualize bile canaliculi formed by rHeps; and rabbit anti-Ki67 (ab16667, Abcam, Cambridge, UK) to identify proliferating cells.
Techniques: Cell Culture, Immunofluorescence, Construct