The Induction of Cell Differentiation and Polarity of Tracheal Epithelium Cultured on the Amniotic Membrane

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 210; no. 2; pp. 302 - 309
• Main Authors: Noguchi, Y., Uchida, Y., Endo, T., Ninomiya, H., Nomura, A., Sakamoto, T., Goto, Y., Haraoka, S., Shimokama, T., Watanabe, T., Hasegawa, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 16-05-1995
• Subjects: Amnion - cytology; Amnion - ultrastructure; Animals; Cell Differentiation; Cell Division; Cell Polarity; Cells, Cultured; Endothelins - biosynthesis; Epithelial Cells; Epithelium - metabolism; Epithelium - ultrastructure; Guinea Pigs; Humans; Microscopy, Electron; Trachea - cytology; Trachea - metabolism; Trachea - ultrastructure
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1006/bbrc.1995.1661

We have developed a culture system of guinea pig tracheal epithelial cells using the epithelium-denuded human amnion as a source of basement membrane. Culture medium fluid over the epithelial cells was replaced by air after 7-day immersion culture and thereafter maintained for 2 weeks. Electron microscopical observations revealed that the height of epithelial cells and the ratio of ciliated epithelial cells looked like that of normal guinea pigs epithelium growth in 2 weeks after the air interface, but that no goblet cells could be found. In order to study cell polarity, we measured endothelin-1 levels in the media of apical and basal sides of the epithelial cell monolayer by means of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The endothelin-1 content of the submucosal side was over 30 times higher than that of the apical side. These findings suggest that ET-1 would be mainly released from airway epithelial cells toward the submucosal side.