THREE DIMENSIONAL CULTURE OF HUMAN SALIVARY GLAND

Embedding culture was performed on nomal salivary gland cells from five subjects using 0. 2% irradiated collagen gel. Collagen was collected from rat tail tendon and gelatinized at the finalconcentration of 0. 2%. D-MEM added BSA(5mg/ml), insulin (10ug/ml) and EGF (5ug/ml) was used as a serum-free medium. Within the collagen gel, the cells were found to grow in a branch-like pattern, and then to form a lot of radial duct-like structures containing alcian blue positive secretions. Immunohistochemical observation of myoepithelial cells with monoclonal antibody from human mammarian cancer suggested that these cells play an important role in the process of glandular ducts formation. Salivary gland cells being able to grow in collagen gel in a very similar fashion to in-vivo condition, the present collagen gel embedding culture is useful for morphological or functional studies on salivary gland cells.