A serum-free medium for clonal growth and serial subculture of diploid rat liver epithelial cells

Summary Clonal growth and serial subculture of diploid liver epithelial cells from neonatal rats were achieved in a serum-free medium (SFM) supplemented with linoleic and oleic acid linked to fatty acid-free bovine serum albumin (fafBSA), epidermal growth factor (EGF), transferrin, insulin, selenous acid, and fetuin. Because it is not known whether factors added to defined media facilitate attachment, support proliferation, or both, a serum-free “attachment medium” was first devised in which cells would attach to the substratum without loss of viability. Then a growth medium that would support cell proliferation was developed. Fetuin enhanced the degree of attachment, and the lipid supplements and EGF induced a marked proliferative response. Serum-free medium supported the formation of colonies equivalent in size, number, and morphology to those obtained in serum-supplemented medium. Cells plated at a higher inoculum density and subcultured regularly for up to 25 wk underwent two to three doublings per week and acquired a flattened epithelial cell morphology. Early passages of rat liver epithelial cells, cultured in SFM may be useful in studies of the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation. This research was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, DHHS, under Contract NO1-CO-23909 with Litton Bionetics, Inc. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U. S. Government.     

卷曲乳杆菌对三种结肠上皮细胞的粘附性

目的 研究卷曲乳杆菌对3种结肠上皮细胞（SW480细胞、SW620细胞、LOVO细胞）的粘附性。方法 将处于对数生长期的卷曲乳杆菌A7分别与SW480细胞、SW620细胞、LOVO细胞进行体外粘附试验,革兰染色后显微镜观察卷曲乳杆菌A7对3种结肠上皮细胞的粘附结果并计数。结果 卷曲乳杆菌A7对3种结肠上皮细胞的粘附均具有显著性,其中对于SW480细胞和LOVO细胞的粘附性明显高于SW620细胞。结论 卷曲乳杆菌A7对SW480细胞、SW620细胞、LOVO细胞均具有较强的粘附性,提示该菌株有望成为肠道益生菌的新成员。     

肺内调节肽对兔支气管上皮细胞与嗜酸性粒细胞粘附功能的影响及机制探讨

为了探讨肺内调节肽在各类过敏性炎症发生,发展中的作用,我们观察了血管活性肠肽（vasoactive intestinal peptide,VIP)、表皮生长因子（epidermal growth factor,EGF)、内皮素-1（endothelin-1,ET-1)、降钙素基因相关肽（calcitonin gene-related peptide,CGRP)在未受应激与臭氧应激两种条件下对支气管上皮细胞（bronchial epithelial cell,BEC)与嗜酸性粒细胞（eosinophil,EOS)粘附的影响,结果发现,VIP、EGF可使O3应激的BEC与EOS的粘附率下降,下调气道上皮炎症反应：ET-1、CGRP可使未受应激的BEC与EOS的粘附率增加,诱发炎症损伤反应;CGRP还能加重臭氧的应激反应;ET-1、CGRP的效应可被W7、H7阻断,抗细胞间粘附分子-1（intercel-lular adhesion molecule,ICAM-1)抗体能阻断BEC与EOS的粘附,提示介导BEC与EOS粘附的粘附分子可能是ICAM-1。     

人羊膜上皮细胞和胚胎干细胞

人胚胎干细胞有着巨大的医学应用前景,但人胚胎干细胞要求的生长条件很高,体外很难模拟其生长的体内环境,因此控制人胚胎干细胞的生长常不理想,而使用鼠胚胎成纤维细胞(MEF)作为滋养层则存在动物源性污染的问题。该文阐述人羊膜上皮细胞(HAEC)的特点及其作为滋养层培养胚胎干细胞的现状,并探讨基因组DNA甲基化修饰在胚胎干细胞分化过程中的作用,为建立更优化的培养系统提供依据。     

Nonchromatin nuclear proteins of mammalian lens epithelial cells

The nuclear matrix (NM) proteins of six tissue cultured lens epithelial cell lines and one embryonic rabbit epidermal cell line were analyzed to determine possible tissue and species specificity of these proteins. The NM proteins were isolated by the modified Penman technique. The tissue cultured cells were pulsed with [³⁵S] methionine and nuclear matrix proteins were fractionated by two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis. The 2-D gels were dried and autoradiographed. The relative abundance of spot patterns of nuclear matrix proteins of different cells were compared. The data from these experiments revealed that all the examined cell lines have distinct spot patterns, however, all of NM profile showed a spot pattern in the 45 kDa region with acidic pH. Some of these spots cross-reacted with anti-vimentin antibodies, whereas a prominent protein spot in this region did not cross react with either vimentin or actin antibodies. The observed variations in the NM protein patterns of lens epithelial cells may reflect tissue and species specificity and also a role in the regulatory properties of these nuclear proteins in the eye tissue development. J. Cell. Biochem. 64:644–650. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Progenitor cells of the biliary epithelial cell lineage

Stem-like cells have been identified in liver that are able to differentiate in vivo and in culture to biliary epithelial cells (BEC), hepatocytes and oval cells. The growth factors/cytokines and signal pathways required for the differentiation processes are beginning to be evaluated. There is increasing evidence to suggest that these stem-like cells may originate from both the bone marrow population or from a precursor remnant from liver embryogenesis, as they share many of the same markers (CD34, c-kit, CD45). Most recently, it has been shown that a population of progenitor cells can copurify with mesenchymal bone marrow cells and differentiate under specific culture conditions to form both hepatic epithelial and also endothelial cells. The interaction of haemopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells needs further evaluation. The close association of ductular reactive cells and neovessels in end-stage cholestatic liver diseases and the relation to Jagged/Notch signalling pathway may be important in the regulation of stem cells to form both biliary epithelial and endothelial cells.     

Automated technique to evaluate thymocyte adhesion to thymic epithelial cells

Thymocyte adhesion to thymic epithelial cells is a relevant issue during intrathymic T-cell differentiation, and directly intervenes in the generation and expansion of the T-cell repertoire. In view of these data, it was apparent the usefulness of an automated strategy to evaluate the degree of thymic epithelial cell-thymocyte adhesion. This prompted us to develop an ELISA procedure (using an anti-Thy1 reagent) to determine the degree of thymocyte adhesion onto cultured thymic epithelial cells. The procedure described herein is simple, non-radioactive and reproducible. Additionally, it can potentially be applied to quantitate the degree of thymocyte adhesion to any cellular or non-cellular substrate (for example, extracellular matrix). Moreover, it detected fluctuations of thymocyte adhesion secondary to glucocorticoid treatment of epithelial cells. Thus, it can be regarded as a further tool to analyze intrathymic interactions.     

Gland formation from human endometrial epithelial cells in vitro

Summary We have developed methods for the culture of human endometrial glandular epithelia in vitro. The culture medium is serum-free and is used in combination with Matrigel, an extracellular matrix material applied as a coating on cell culture plates. Cell growth begins as a monolayer, but the cells subsequently form glandular or organoid structures. The glands are composed of polar columnar cells facing a central lumen, which is enclosed by the apical surfaces of cells displaying numerous microvilli and sealed by tight junction complexes. The ability to study in vitro the complex process of glandular morphogenesis represents an important new tool in cell biology which may be used to investigate growth regulation, hormone production and dependency, and cellular recognition and interactions. Ultimately, these characteristics may be applied to study the alterations of glandular epithelia associated with neoplasia. This work was supported by NIH grants CA31733 and CA09156 and NIEHS contract ES55092     

Tissue culture of human epithelial cells from benign colonic tumors

Summary Human colonic epithelial cells from three classes of benign tumors have been reproducibly cultured free of fibroblasts for 8 wk using a supplemented Medium 199 (M 199S). The cultured colonic cells were identified as epithelial by the presence of junctional complexes (tight junctions, gap junctions, and desmosomes), a brush border on the apical surface, keratin fibrils, and by both a close-packed columnar or cuboidal morphology and the capability to transport water and ions to form hemicysts. Colony formation was initiated by groups of epithelial cells, not by single cells, and was inhibited by cocultivation with either lethally irradiated 3T3 cells or human diploid fibroblasts. Enhancement of epithelial colony formation was observed following culture on nonadherent, “floating” substrates compared with substrates attached directly to the bottom of the culture dish. Replication of epithelial cells in M 199S from the class of benign colonic tumors least prone to malignancy, the tubular, was significantly enhanced by epidermal growth factor (EGF). In contrast, EGF did not stimulate the growth of cells in M 199S from the other classes of benign tumors, the villotubular and the villous, which exhibit more malignant potential. These data imply that premalignant colonic epithelial cells lose responsiveness to growth modulation by EGF as they progress toward frank carcinoma. This study was supported by NCI Contract N01-CP43366 to M. L. and NCI Grant 1-R26-CA 28822 to E. F.     

肠粘膜上皮细胞在天然免疫中的作用

粘膜免疫是机体防御系统的主要成分。致病性细菌侵入机体后,首先遭遇到天然免疫的抵抗,随后产生获得性免疫,两共同执行机体的防御功能,消灭入侵细菌。最近的研究表明上皮细胞对细菌感染有重要的免疫调节作用,在天然免疫与获得性免疫防御机制中起重要作用。本重点介绍肠上皮细胞在天然免疫中的作用。     

Long-term proliferation of mouse thymic epithelial cells in culture

Summary Epithelial cells from the normal mouse thymus were successfully cultivated on tissue culture plastic when plated with lethally irradiated support cells of the LA7 rat mammary tumor line. As the irradiated LA7 cells slowly decreased in number the thymus cells proliferated concomitantly to form a confluent monolayer. The cells now in culture have been subcultured 8 times, have doubled in number at least 30 times, and are still proliferating vigorously. The culture technique also supported clonal growth from a single cell, and nine clones have been isolated. The colony-forming efficiency of thymic cells plated at low concentrations was about 8%. These cultures were never overgrown by fibroblasts. The thymus cells were characterized as epithelial by the presence of cytoplasmic keratin and numerous desmosomes and tonofilaments. They were shown to be mouse cells by immunocytochemistry with species specific antibodies, by isoenzyme analysis, and by karyology. The cells stained when reacted with antibodies to tubulin, vimentin, and actin, but not with antibodies to Thy-1.2, Lyt-1, Lyt-2, Ia, or H-2 proteins. More than 85% of the cells had a normal mouse diploid chromosome number of 40. This culture technique opens the way for future studies of T-cell education with homogeneous thymic epithelial cell populations both in vitro and after reimplantation into genetically defined strains of mice. This work was supported by the Veterans Administration, Washington, D.C.     

The culture of epithelial cells from nasopharyngeal carcinoma biopsies

Summary Epithelial cells from nasopharyngeal carcinoma biopsies were cultured with a high percentage of success and periods of growth much longer than those previously reported. Such cultured nasopharyngeal epithelial cells, if normal, are useful for experiments with Epstein-Barr virus in relation to nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and if the epithelial cells are Epstein-Barr virus associated tumor cells, they will be most useful for investigation into the etiology of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.     

Apoptosis evaluation in epithelial cells exposed to different chemicals: relevance of floating cells

The recent increase in understanding of cell death has promoted new approaches in toxicological studies, mainly those dealing within vitro systems where the evaluation of cell death has been the most widely adopted end-point in measuring the effects of chemical toxicants. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of improving the traditional cytotoxicity test protocols in order to produce more specific information on the type of cell death induced by exposure to toxicants. In particular, we characterized the mode of cell death in an established epithelial cell line, HEp-2 cells, which is frequently used in cytotoxicity testing owing to its easy handling and standardization of culture conditions. Reference chemicals for apoptosis and necrosis were selected as controls, together with other molecules that have been shown, in preliminary studies, to induce various morphological and structural modifications in relation to cell death. The results obtained show that: (a) the floating fraction of treated cells gives the clearest picture of the necrotic/apoptotic distribution; (b) morphological analysis is crucial for characterization of apoptosis; (c) more than one cytotoxic end-point is necessary to clearly identify the type of cell death. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Cultured proliferating rat mammary epithelial cells

Summary Normal epithelial cells from the rat mammary gland proliferated in culture when plated with lethally irradiated cells of the LA7 rat mammary tumor line. Proliferation of the normal rat cells occured as the LA7 cells slowly died from the radiation. By labeling the cultures with³H-thymidine it was determined that most of the proliferating rat cells were those adjacent to the LA7 feeder cells. The epithelial cells from the primary culture proliferated after subsequent passages if the cells were plated at each subculture with newly irradiated LA7 cells. If the cells were plated at a ratio of ∼1:8 rat:LA7 a confluent layer of normal rat cells covered the plastic substrate after 6 to 7 wk. The cells have so far been carried up through Passage 7, which amounted to ∼19 doublings in cell number, and still proliferate vigorously. The growth medium for this culture system was Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium:Ham’s F12 1:1 supplemented with fetal bovine serum, insulin, and antibiotics. The presence in the cells of keratin, desmosomes, and cell junctions attested to their epithelial origin. The cultures were composed of cells with diploid or near diploid chromosome numbers. Samples of the cultured cells were implanted into the cleared fat pads of nude mice. Most of the implants from Passage 2 formed normal mammary ductal structures, but the incidence of outgrowths decreased significantly with later passages until no out-growths resulted from the implantation of cells from Passage 5. The one unusual, feeder-independent cell line that arose from a primary culture seemed to be immortal in culture, contained a hyperdiploid chromosome complement, and formed abnormal structures when implanted into cleared fat pads. This work was supported by the Veterans Administration, Washington, DC, and by CA grant 05388 from the U.S. Public Health Service, Washington, DC.     

Short-term cultivation of murine thymic epithelial cells in a serum-free medium

Summary Thymic epithelial cells were grown in defined medium without unknown serum factors and without concurrent growth of other cell types. Thymic tissue was obtained from 1- to 4-wk-old mice, disaggregated, and incubated in a mixture of collagenase-dispase-DNAse. The resulting organoids were seeded on collagen-coated flasks. The culture medium consisted of DME-F12 with low or high concentration of Ca²⁺ supplemented with insulin, epidermal growth factor, cholera toxin, hydrocortisone, and transferrin. Under these conditions, explants attached to the substrate within 2 d, and expanding epithelioid monolayer islets emerged from the organoids during the following days. [³H]Thymidine incorporation revealed a growth fraction of the cells close to 5%. By omitting either epidermal growth factor, insulin, or cholera toxin from the medium, pronounced reduction in sizes of islets and in [³H]thymidine incorporation was found. Throughout the culture period, the islets appeared as continuous sheets of polygonal cells. The epithelial nature of the expanding cell islets was confirmed by demonstration of cytokeratins and of desmosomes. Ultrastructural evaluation of early cultures revealed clusters of epithelial cells intermixed with lymphocytes, and late cultures showed a typical pattern of stratified keratinizing epithelium. However, squamous metaplasia was avoided by the use of low Ca²⁺ medium, which also proved essential for cell transfer. MHC class II antigen was detected on the majority of the cultured cells, and culture supernatants contained co-mitogenic activity for thymocytes and GM-colony stimulating activity. This work supported by The Danish Research Council, grant 12-8148.     

Cholera toxin stimulation of human mammary epithelial cells in culture

Summary Addition of cholera toxin to human mammary epithelial cultures derived from reduction mammoplasties and primary carcinomas greatly stimulated cell growth and increased the number of times the cells could be successfully subcultured. Other agents known to increase intracellular cAMP levels were also growth stimulatory. The increased growth potential conferred by cholera toxin enhances the usefulness of this cell culture system. This work was supported by USPHS Grant CA-24844 from the National Cancer Institute and Grant CD-61B from the American Cancer Society.     

Culture of epithelial cells from the rat pleura

Summary Cells obtained by tryptic digestion of the surface of intact adult and fetal Fischer 344 lungs were plated on glass fragments. Epithelial cell lines were readily established by selecting fragments with 2 to 10 cells 2 days after plating and growing them in F12 K media containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). These cell lines and new lines that can be easily obtained provide a reliable source of diploid, density-inhibited epithelial cells. These cells of mesothelial origin may serve as models for the study of mesothelial cells in situ. This work was supported through National Institutes of Health Grant HL-19737 from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.     

Hemoglobin is expressed in alveolar epithelial type II cells

Hemoglobin is the main oxygen carrying heme protein in erythrocytes. In an effort to study the differential gene expression of alveolar epithelial type I and type II cells using DNA microarray technique, we found that the mRNAs of hemoglobin alpha- and beta-chains were expressed in type II cells, but not in type I cells. The microarray data were confirmed by RT-PCR. The mRNA expression of both chains decreased when type II cells trans-differentiated into type I-like cells. Immunocyto/histochemistry revealed that hemoglobin protein was specifically localized in type II cells of a lung cell mixture and rat lung tissue. The endogenous synthesis of hemoglobin in alveolar epithelial cells suggests that hemoglobin may have unidentified functions other than oxygen transport in the lung.     

Characteristics of rat normal mammary epithelial cells and dimethylbenzanthracene-induced mammary adenocarcinoma cells grown in monolayer culture

Summary The characteristics of normal mammary epithelial and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced adenocarcinoma cells derived from rats and grown in monolayer culture were compared. Normal mammary epithelial cells exhibited different morphology and agglutinability by plant lectins, slower growth rate, and lower saturation density and cloning efficiency. In addition, the normal cells were sensitive to the toxic effect of DMBA, and were unable to grow in soft agar or to form tumors, when inoculated into newborn Sparague-Dawley rats. The converse was true in each case for the adenocarcinoma cells. Supported by Public Health Service Research Grant CA 01237603 from the National Cancer Institute Portions of this paper were presented at the 65th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research at Houston, Texas, 1974.     

Human retinal pigment epithelial cells

''Human retinal pigment epithelial cells'' is the first set of guidelines on human retinal pigment epithelial cells in China, jointly drafted and agreed upon by experts from the Chinese Society for Stem Cell Research. This standard specifies technical requirements, test methods, inspection rules, instructions for usage, labelling requirements, packaging requirements, storage requirements and transportation requirements and waste disposal requirements for human retinal pigment epithelial cells, which is applicable to quality control during the process of manufacturing and testing of human retinal pigment epithelial cells. It was originally released by the Chinese Society for Cell Biology on 9 January 2021. We hope that publication of these guidelines will promote institutional establishment, acceptance and execution of proper protocols and accelerate the international standardization of human retinal pigment epithelial cells for applications.