Porcine hepatocytes are a promising option for xenotransplantation in light of the critical shortage of orthotopic donor livers. Because primary hepatocytes have limited ability to proliferate in vitro, several immortalized hepatocyte lines have been established. However, these cells have typically been generated using a virus-dependent transfection methodology and express viral oncogenes that introduce potential risks in clinical applications. In our study, we established immortalized porcine neonatal hepatocytes by introduction of a plasmid-based hTERT gene expression system by electroporation, without the use of viral components. We detected stable expression of hTERT by RT-PCR and Western blot. The immortalized hepatocytes exhibit a high growth rate, but retain the normal morphology of freshly isolated primary hepatocytes. To date, these immortalized hepatocytes have been expanded for over 80 passages. In addition, no significant differences were detected in glycogen synthesis, secretion of serum albumin, or lipid accumulation between the primary hepatocytes and our immortalized hepatocytes. The cells also exhibit serum-dependent growth and have no capacity for anchorage-independent growth in vitro, demonstrating that they have not been transformed in vitro. Our immortalized porcine hepatocytes will be useful for elucidating the pathogenesis of liver disease and developing efficient treatments. Furthermore, these immortalized hepatocytes may provide a safer source of cells for application in xenotransplantation, compared with immortalized cells generated using viral components.
Keywords: Hepatocyte transplantation; Immortalized porcine hepatocytes; Viral oncogenes; hTERT.