【Animal Modeling】-Isolation, culture and identification of hepatic stellate cells of gerbils

  Objective: To explore a stable and economical method for the isolation and culture of hepatic stellate cells in Mongolian gerbils, and to provide technical support for the in-depth study of the cellular mechanism of liver fibrosis in Mongolian gerbils.

  Method: Take adult male gerbils, digest the liver cells of gerbils with pronase, collagenase and DNA enzyme in the portal vein, and separate the hepatic stellate cells by Nycodenz density gradient centrifugation. Trypan blue exclusion test to identify cell viability, α-SMA, Desmin immunocytochemical staining to identify cell properties.

  Result: The yield of hepatic stellate cells was 0.5~1×107/liver. The survival rate of hepatic stellate cells is above 90%. After 3 days of primary culture, α-SMA positive cells reached more than 75%. After subculture, α-SMA and Desmin positive cells reached 100%.

  Conclusion: A stable and reliable method for the isolation and culture of gerbil liver stellate cells has been successfully established, which provides technical support for the research of liver-related diseases and the development of prevention and treatment drugs.