Figure 4 | Scientific Reports

Figure 4

From: Construction of a culture protocol for functional bile canaliculi formation to apply human iPS cell-derived hepatocytes for cholestasis evaluation

Figure 4

Gene expressions and the localization of biliary efflux transporters when the bile canaliculi were formed. Human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes were cultured in a long-term maintenance medium for 28 days and then, they were sandwich-cultured in a maintenance medium for 9 days. (A) Expression levels of the biliary efflux transporters, multidrug resistance protein 2 (MRP2) and bile salt export pump (BSEP), were measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction before and after sandwich culture. The bar shows the relative expression levels of MRP2 or BSEP. Pooled RNA from human liver was used for the standard curve, and the expression level was set as one. The relative expression level was calculated using the equation of the line for the standard curve. Data are presented as means ± S.D. (n = 3). ** Indicates that the expression significantly increased compared with that prior to the sandwich culture (P < 0.01). (B) Immunostaining images of MRP2 and BSEP after sandwich culture. Actin filaments were stained with phalloidin as an index of bile canaliculi.

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