Rat hepatocytes were isolated and cultured on the petri dishes treated with various coating materials. Untreated or collagen coated petri dish gave monolayer culture of hepatocyte and proteoglycan, dermatan sulfate, and BSA treated petri dish gave hemispheroid. The untreated Primaria petri dish gave spheroid type of hepatocyte, and heparin and hyaluronic acid treatment gave multilayers. To sustain high cell viability, monolayer cultured hepatocytes was more useful, while it was found that the hemispheroid or spheroid type hepatocytes was more active in the hepatic functions such as ammonia metabolism and albumin synthesis.