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A theoretical approach to zonation in a bioartificial liver
Author(s) -
Davidson Adam J.,
Ellis Marianne J.,
Chaudhuri Julian B.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.23279
Subject(s) - bioartificial liver device , oxygen tension , bioreactor , in vivo , biomedical engineering , computer science , metabolic cost , chemistry , biological system , biochemical engineering , biology , in vitro , biochemistry , hepatocyte , oxygen , engineering , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , organic chemistry , physical medicine and rehabilitation
Bioartificial livers have yet to gain clinical acceptance. In a previous study, a theoretical model was utilized to create operating region charts that graphically illustrated viable bioartificial liver configurations. On this basis a rationale for the choice of operating and design parameters for the device was created. The concept is extended here to include aspects of liver zonation for further design optimization. In vivo, liver cells display heterogeneity with respect to metabolic activity according to their position in the liver lobule. It is thought that oxygen tension is a primary modulator of this heterogeneity and on this assumption a theoretical model to describe the metabolic zonation within an in vitro bioartificial liver device has been adopted. The distribution of the metabolic zones under varying design and operating parameters is examined. In addition, plasma flow rates are calculated that give rise to an equal distribution of the metabolic zones. The results show that when a clinically relevant number of cells are contained in the BAL (10 billion), it is possible to constrain each of the three metabolic zones to approximately one‐third of the cell volume. This is the case for a number of different bioreactor designs. These considerations allow bioartificial liver design to be optimized. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2012;109: 234–243. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.