Cline P R, Zamora P O, Hosick H L
In Vitro. 1982 Aug;18(8):694-702. doi: 10.1007/BF02796424.
Mammary epithelial cells from lactating mice synthesize and secrete lactose in culture and retain many features of their in vivo morphology if mammary glands are only partially dissociated to alveoli, rather than completely dissociated to single cells. After 5 d in culture lactose synthesis by alveoli cultured on floating collagen gels is 10 to 20 times higher than in cultures of single cells on floating collagen gels. Moreover, mammary alveoli in culture retain sensitivity to lactogenic hormones; the synthesis of lactose by alveoli depends on the continued presence of insulin and either hydrocortisone or prolactin. In addition, within alveoli the original juxtaposition of constituent epithelial cells is retained, and cells are cuboidal and have many microvilli and fat droplets. In contrast, alveoli on attached gels flatten and lose their secretory morphology. These results indicate that the shape of the cells, presence of lactogenic hormones, and maintenance of epithelial:epithelial cell contacts are required for maintenance of mammary epithelial cell differentiation in culture.
来自泌乳小鼠的乳腺上皮细胞在培养中能合成并分泌乳糖，并且如果乳腺只是部分解离成肺泡，而非完全解离成单细胞，那么这些细胞在培养中会保留其体内形态的许多特征。在漂浮胶原凝胶上培养5天后，培养的肺泡合成乳糖的量比在漂浮胶原凝胶上培养的单细胞高出10至20倍。此外，培养中的乳腺肺泡对生乳激素仍保持敏感性；肺泡合成乳糖取决于胰岛素以及氢化可的松或催乳素的持续存在。另外，在肺泡内，组成上皮细胞的原始并列结构得以保留，细胞呈立方形，有许多微绒毛和脂肪滴。相比之下，附着在凝胶上的肺泡会变扁平并失去其分泌形态。这些结果表明，细胞形状、生乳激素的存在以及上皮细胞与上皮细胞间接触的维持对于培养中乳腺上皮细胞分化的维持是必需的。
