The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

2 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Biology

Isolation of Rat Portal Fibroblasts by In situ Liver Perfusion

Jessica W. Wen¹, Abby L. Olsen², Maryna Perepelyuk², Rebecca G. Wells²

¹Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, ²Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

A technique for isolating portal fibroblasts from rat liver is described. Livers are perfused and digested in situ with collagenase, followed by ex vivo digestion of the liver slurry and size selection of cells. This method provides a pure population of portal fibroblasts without the need for passage in culture.

Biology

Isolation of Neonatal Extrahepatic Cholangiocytes

Sara Karjoo¹, Rebecca G. Wells²

¹Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, ²Department of Medicine, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

A technique to isolate cholangiocytes from the extrahepatic bile ducts of neonatal mice is described. The ducts are meticulously dissected, and then cells are isolated by outgrowth in thick collagen gels. This method provides a useful tool for studying extrahepatic bile duct development and pathology.