NORMAL HUMAN ENDOMETRIAL CELLS IN CULTURE - CHARACTERIZATION AND IMMORTALIZATION OF EPITHELIAL AND STROMAL CELLS BY SV-40 LARGE T-ANTIGEN

Thirty endometrial biopsies were cultured in order to separate stromal and epithelial cells. Using epidermal growth factor (EGF), cortisol, cholera toxin, insulin with 5% horse serum for epithelial cells or a m edium with 20% fetal calf serum for stromal cells, we could specifical ly enrich endometrial culture in epithelial or stromal cells and cultu re them for 1 or 2 months. These cultures retained the phenotypic char acteristics of epithelial (cytokeratins, mucin HMFG 1) and stromal (vi mentin, smooth muscle actin, desmin) lineage by immunostaining analysi s. Epithelial and stromal cultures from one individual were respective ly immortalized by the SV 40 large T antigen. The immortalized cell li nes kept the phenotype of the normal cells from which they derived.