THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN USSING CHAMBER TECHNIQUE FOR ISOLATED HUMAN VAGINAL MUCOSA, AND THE VIABILITY OF THE IN-VITRO SYSTEM

An Ussing chamber technique for isolated human vagina has been develop ed. Human vagina is preferred as animal epithelium is keratinized to v arious degrees. Moreover, a slicer technique is introduced to reduce n on-epithelial tissue, as only the multilayer epithelium is assumed to be the absorption barrier in vivo. The electrical properties of the ti ssue (short-circuit current (I-SC) and transepithelial potential diffe rence (PD)) are recorded to estimate the tissue viability. The efficac y of the slicer technique is further illustrated histologically. I-SC and PD are relatively stable between 1 and 5 h (plateau about 23 mu A/ cm(2) and 12 mV). The viability of the tissue is longer than 6-8 h, wh ere I-SC is greater than 80 and 50% of the I-SC plateau, respectively. Electrical resistance is about 500 Omega cm(2). The method is conside red to be useful for in vitro studies of vaginal electrophysiology and permeability. The slicer technique may also be useful for isolation o f other multilayer barriers, e.g., from the skin.