AN ORGAN-CULTURE METHOD FOR HUMAN COLORECTAL MUCOSA USING SERUM-FREE MEDIUM

This study describes an explant organ-culture system in which human co lonic mucosa can be maintained for prolonged periods in serum-free med ium. Following an initial phase of epithelial cell loss, there was int ense regenerative activity, with the reformation of tubular crypts. Es timation of crypt lengths revealed a marked reduction after 5 and 9 da ys in culture with corresponding increases in labelling indices for th e whole crypt. The shapes of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-flash-labelling distribution curves were consistent with a proliferative compartment s ituated within the lower two-thirds of the crypt. We conclude that thi s is a useful in vitro model for the study of the effects of growth fa ctors and growth-inhibitors agents in respect of cell proliferation in human colonic mucosa.