Isolation of Kupffer Cells and Hepatocytes from a Single Mouse Liver

Abstract

Liver perfusion is a common technique used to isolate parenchymal and non-parenchymal liver cells for in vitro experiments. This method allows hepatic cells to be separated based on their size and weight, by centrifugation using a density gradient. To date, other methods allow the isolation of only one viable hepatic cellular fraction from a single mouse; either parenchymal (hepatocytes) or non-parenchymal cells (i.e., Kupffer cells or hepatic stellate cells). Here, we describe a method to isolate both hepatocytes and Kupffer cells from a single mouse liver, thereby providing the unique advantage of studying different liver cell types that have been isolated from the same organism.

Keywords: Cell isolation; Gradient centrifugation; Hepatocytes; Kupffer cells; Liver; Perfusion.