Rat thymic epithelial cells in vitro and in situ: characterization by immunocytochemistry and morphology |
| |
Authors: | Bodo Kurz Brita von Gaudecker Brigitte Krisch Rolf Mentlein |
| |
Institution: | Anatomisches Institut der Universit?t Kiel, Olshausenstrasse 40, D-24098 Kiel, Germany, DE
|
| |
Abstract: | A new method for the long-term culture of pure rat thymic epithelial cells was established. The cultures were characterized
by immunocytochemistry, electron microscopy and proliferation assays. Non-epithelial thymic cells were eliminated with a reliable
and reproducible pre-plating method, by differential trypsin treatment of the cultures and by addition of horse serum to the
culture medium instead of fetal calf serum. The final cultures contained more than 95% pure epithelial cells as evidenced
by immunostaining for cytokeratin. Ultrastructural studies indicated that these cells are physiologically active epithelial
cells with tonofilaments, desmosomes and filopods. The subsets of the thymic epithelial cells in vitro were investigated by
comparing their staining pattern with that obtained in situ using several subtype-selective antibodies. Thymic epithelial
cells in vitro showed a preferential expression of subcapsular/perivascular and medullary markers. Only few cultivated cells
were of cortical origin. In the first to the fourth subcultures, some cells were immunopositive for the thymus hormone/factor
thymulin. The proliferation of thymic epithelial cells was stimulated by horse serum and to a lesser extend by fetal calf
serum. The adenylate cyclase activators isoproterenol and forskolin, and the glucocorticoid cortisol inhibited the proliferation.
Received: 12 May 1995 / Accepted: 13 October 1995 |
| |
Keywords: | : Thymus Thymulin Epithelial cells Cell culture Rat (Han:WIST) |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|