Maintenance and characterization of human myometrial smooth muscle cells in monolayer culture.

Human myometrial cells were dispersed from uterine tissue by limited enzymatic digestion of myometrium that was obtained at the time of hysterectomy. The dispersed myometrial cells that are obtained in this manner can be maintained in monolayer culture in the presence of medium that contains fetal bovine serum. In primary culture, as well as after passage, the characteristics of these cells are morphologically and biochemically similar to those of smooth muscle cells and myometrial tissue.