Human semen as a source of epithelial cells for culture

Summary When washed cells from human semen samples were plated out, epithelial cultures were obtained. The human ejaculates used as starting material contained, in addition to spermatazoa, 10³ to 10⁷ cells of other types, including granulocytes, macrophages lymphocytes, spermatocytes and epithelial cells. Although no fractionation of cell types was attempted, semen samples yielded epithelial cultures uncontaminated by fibroblasts. The cultured cells appeared characteristically epithelial with a polygonal shape, interdigitating cell membranes, and desmosomes. ABH blood-group antigenic determinants of the donor were expressed with variable frequency as a surface antigen on these cells. About half the trials gave some cell attachment. Most cultures remained as small, tight colonies, but a few reached confluency in about 5 weeks and could be subcultured successfully. Cell proliferation, as monitored by ³H]thymidine incorporation into nuclear macromolecules, ceased in less than 2 months. Aided by grants from the National Science Foundation (BMS-72-02219 A04 and PCM 76-81029 to E. A. K.), the Public Health Service (CA 12504 to O. J. M.), and the National Foundation-March of Dimes. The earlier portions of this study were carried out under a Program Project Grant from the National Institutes of Health (No. 5 PO GM 18153).