Establishment of endometrial glandular epithelial cell subculture in a serum-free, hormonally defined medium, on a basement membrane matrix.

Epithelial glands were isolated from guinea-pig endometrium. In order to reduce the requirement for a serum supplement and the contamination by non epithelial cells in primary culture, various coatings of the culture dishes were tested using serum-free Ham's F12 containing defined chemicals including 17 beta-estradiol. While epithelial glands seeded on culture dishes coated with Matrigel, a basement membrane matrix-failed to spread, they formed on poly-D-lysine plus serum-coated dishes, a subconfluent monolayer (5-7 days) enriched in cytokeratin-immunostained cells (78%). Cells from subconfluent primary cultures, obtained on poly-D-lysine plus serum-coated dishes in serum-free hormonally defined medium, were passaged on Matrigel-coated dishes in serum-free hormonally defined medium. These subcultures contained, at confluence (4-5 days), a high percentage (greater than 95%) of cytokeratin-immunostained cells. These monolayers consisted of well-differentiated cells which exhibited ultrastructural features characteristic of endometrial epithelial cells. Moreover, these confluent cells contained 50% immunostained nuclei for progesterone receptors. Progesterone receptor amounts decreased in confluent subcultures treated with progesterone and became undetectable after long-term treatment, suggesting responsiveness of these cells to progesterone. This culture system provides a well-defined model for the study of protein synthesis and secretion by endometrial glandular epithelial cells under hormonal control.