Human hepatocyte culture medium and conditioned medium of in vitro cultured human hepatocytes and uses thereof

A method of culturing HH for recovery after isolation and/or preservation and establishment of hepatic function, the method comprising:

• culturing a quantity of HH in a first phase with a first cell culture medium for a first period of time,
• removing the first cell culture medium from the quantity of HH, followed by
• culturing the quantity of HH in a second phase with a second cell culture medium for a second period of time,
• wherein the first cell culture medium comprises a DMSO-supplemented cell culture medium, and the second cell culture medium comprises a DMSO, DMSO2, or TMSO-supplemented cell culture medium.

A method of culturing HH for recovery after isolation and/or preservation and establishment of hepatic function, the method comprising:

• culturing a quantity of HH in a first phase with a first cell culture medium for a first period of time,
• removing the first cell culture medium from the quantity of HH, followed by
• culturing the quantity of HH in a second phase with a second cell culture medium for a second period of time,
• wherein the first cell culture medium comprises a dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-supplemented cell culture medium, the second cell culture medium comprises a DMSO2 or TMSO-supplemented cell culture medium, and
• wherein the second cell culture medium does not comprise DMSO.

A method of assaying toxicity of an agent to HH or drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) of the agent, comprising:

• culturing a quantity of HH in a medium supplemented with DMSO2, without DMSO;
• contacting the agent with the quantity of HH cultured in the DMSO2-supplemented medium;
• and
• measuring a level of toxicity to the quantity of HH in the presence of, or after the contact with, the agent, or measuring a level of metabolism or excretion of the agent by the quantity of HH in the presence of, or after the contact with, the agent.

A method of assaying a candidate agent for promoting the metabolism of alcohol or vitamin A, comprising:

• culturing a quantity of HH in a medium supplemented with DMSO2, without DMSO;
• contacting the quantity of HH cultured in the DMSO2-supplemented medium with the alcohol or the vitamin A in the presence of a candidate agent;
• and
• measuring a level of metabolism of the alcohol or the vitamin A by the quantity of HH in the presence of, or after the contact with, the candidate agent.