Background/Aim: Thermo-reversible gelation polymer (TGP) can be converted into a gel state upon warming and liquid upon cooling. The present study aimed to demonstrate a new method for cryopreservation and encapsulation of rat hepatocytes using a TGP and their successful transplantation. Materials and Methods: The isolated rat hepatocytes were microencapsulated using TGP, and stored in liquid nitrogen. After cryopreservation, hepatocytes were cultured. Moreover, hepatocytes were transplanted into the spleen without a TGP capsule. Results: The viability of hepatocytes that were cryopreserved in TGP was 71.2±2.3%. The hepatocytes demonstrated adequate survival, maintained their hepatic function in culture, and expressed albumin after transplantation to the rat spleen. Conclusion: We demonstrated a cryopreservation method of rat hepatocyte encapsulation using a TGP gel in the hydrogel state which subsequently allowed successful transplantation of unencapsulated hepatocytes in a sol state TGP gel at low temperature.

中文翻译：

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一种使用热可逆凝胶聚合物冷冻保存功能移植肝细胞的改进封装方法

背景/目的：热可逆凝胶聚合物 (TGP) 可以在加热时转化为凝胶状态，冷却时可以转化为液体。本研究旨在展示一种使用 TGP 冷冻保存和封装大鼠肝细胞的新方法及其成功移植。材料与方法：分离出的大鼠肝细胞用TGP微囊化，并储存在液氮中。冷冻保存后，培养肝细胞。此外，肝细胞在没有 TGP 胶囊的情况下被移植到脾脏中。结果：TGP冷冻保存的肝细胞存活率为71.2±2.3%。肝细胞显示出足够的存活率，在培养中保持其肝功能，并在移植到大鼠脾脏后表达白蛋白。结论：