HEPATOCYTE CULTURE DEVICE CAPABLE OF ENHANCING ACCUMULATION AND EXCRETION OF HEPATIC METABOLITE IN AND INTO BILE CANALICULUS-LIKE STRUCTURE, AND METHOD FOR EVALUATING CANDIDATE COMPOUND SENSITIVE TO EXCRETION INTO BILE OR BLOOD AND HEPATIC METABOLITE OF SAID CANDIDATE COMPOUND USING SAID HEPATOCYTE CULTURE DEVICE

摘要

The present invention is a hepatocyte culture device enhancing accumulation and excretion of a hepatic metabolite in and into a bile canaliculus-like structure, the device including: a first cell culture containing a plurality of hepatocytes; a portable culture vessel in which the bile canaliculus-like structure can be established between the hepatocytes in the first cell culture, and that has, on an outer surface of the culture vessel, a membrane through which a physiologically active substance can pass; and a second cell culture capable of improving excretion activity of a hepatic metabolite in the first cell culture, in which the first cell culture cultured in the portable culture vessel is disposed on the second cell culture to be co-cultured.