Decellularization of liver cubes using multiple site syringe injection for generating native liver scaffold: Preliminary report

Scaffold is one of the important parts of tissue engineering. Liver scaffolds are obtained by decellularization of native liver. Frequently used decellularization methods include immersion or peristaltic pump perfusion techniques. Immersion technique requires longer duration and risk of tissue decay in the tissue core. Limited laboratory facilities have a peristaltic pump, thus limiting the usage of perfusion decellularization techniques. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a technique of simple liver decellularization with multiple site syringe injection. Material and methods: Isolated rat livers were freeze-thawed and cut into cubical form with a size of 1.5 cm × 1.5 cm × 0.7 cm up to 1 cm. The liver cubes were incubated in EGTA solution for 30 minutes and followed by multiple site syringe injection with increasing SDS concentration (0.1 %, 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1%) until appeared transparent (± 6 hours). The decellularized liver cubes were processed histologically and stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Result and discussion: Decellularized liver cubes using multiple site syringe injection compared to undecellularized liver showed removal of cells and structurally intact extracellular matrix as observed from histological specimens. Conclusions: Multiple site syringe injection is a simple technique to decellularized liver cubes for preparation of native liver scaffold for tissue engineering.