Primary culture of fetalrat liver bipotential progenitor cells

Summary Techniques are described for the rapid isolation, monolayer culture, and phenotypical characterization of embryonic Day 12 (E12) rat liver epithelial cells. In vitro assays of the differentiation potential of these cells are currently being performed under conditions that make use of-modified Eagle's medium supplemented with fetal bovine serum, insulin, and dexamethasone with or without sodium butyrate. In the absence of sodium butyrate, the cells differentiate along the hepatocytic cell lineage, whereas in its presence they express the phenotype of the biliary ductal epithelial cell lineage.