[The modelling of in-vitro epidermal regeneration: the joint action of serum and epidermal growth factor].

A population of basal keratinocytes was obtained by removing suprabasal cells from multilayered cultures of human epidermal keratinocytes after their incubation in medium 199 without Ca2+, serum, and mitogens (insulin, EGF, and isoproterenol). The addition of EGF (10 ng/ml) to fresh DMEM: F12 medium with cultured basal keratinocytes stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation into cells. Serum added to the medium also stimulated this process. However, the addition of both serum and EGF did not result in any further increase in label incorporation. It was also shown that serum promotes stratification of cultures and differentiation of basal keratinocytes, whereas EGF counteracts this effect.