Growth and Differentation of Rat Mammary Epithelial Cells Cultured in Serum-free Medium

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

A new serum-free detined medium was developed that supports the growth of normal rat mammary epithelial cells. Mammary organoids from the gland of female F344 rats were cultured in a serum-free medium. Monolayer culture colonies developed within a week and remained viable for months in culture. Upon subculture of one-week-old primary colonies,almost the same morphology of colonies was developed. The scrape loading/dye transfer teachhique showed that most of colonies that developed in a serum-free medium containing EGF, human transferrin, insulin, and hydrocortisone(basal serum-free medium, BSFM) failed to show cell-cell communication,However,colonies cultured in BSFM supplemented with prolactin,E₂,and progestreone(complete hormome serum-free medium, CHSFM) showed cell-cell communication at 14 dats of primary culture or of subculture. By flow cytometry with FITC-PNA and PE-anti-Thy-1.1 monoclonal antibody, we distinguished four RMEC subpopulations in cultures in both media: Thy-1.1+cells, PNA+ cell,cells negative to both reagents and cells positive to both regents. It is likely that combined prolactin,cortisol, and insulin in CHSFM stimulate terminal differentiation of colonogenic cells.