The effect of cholera toxin and epidermal growth factor on the in-vitro growth of human oral epithelial cells.

Human epithelial cells isolated from adult gingival and infant palatal biopsies were cultured using 3T3 feeder cells. The colony-forming efficiency was about 0.8 per cent with cholera toxin and epidermal growth factor (EGF). The cell yield of cultures from infant palates depended on the concentration of cholera toxin and the presence of EGF in the culture medium; the culture lifetime and the number of cell generations were higher for oral epithelial cells originating from infants than from adults; the mean thickness of well-developed areas was 15 micron in control cultures and slightly smaller with cholera toxin and EGF. It is concluded that cultivation of epithelial cells from the human oral mucosa is easier with culture media containing cholera toxin and EGF. The same is true for cells originating from infants rather than from adults.