Role of reconstituted basement membrane in human granulosa cell culture

The effects of Matrigel, a reconstituted basement membrane, on human granul osa cells were investigated. Cells were obtained from follicular aspirate i n the course of oocyte retrieval for in vitro fertilization and were cultur ed on either a surface coated with Matrigel or uncoated plastic. Light and electron microscopy showed that granulosa cells cultured on Matrigel demons trated three-dimensional aggregated cells with well differentiated morpholo gy: numerous lipid droplets, microvilli, junctional complexes and lumen-lik e structures were seen. In contrast, cells cultured on plastic were flatten ed, poorly differentiated and showed apoptotic cells. Immunocytochemistry s howed that the proportion of immunopositive cells for 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase was increased in cultures on Matrigel. The results of the pr esent study suggest that culture on Matrigel promotes the differentiation o f human granulosa cells and provides a useful tool which may improve the ef ficiency of in vitro fertilization.