Culture of porcine fetal pancreatic neurons.

Objectives: Pancreatic neurons have not been cultured commonly. Cultured neurons can be continuously observed, and their external environment is easy to be controlled. We report here a simple method for separating and cultivating neuronal cells from pancreas.

Erythropoietin-induced proliferation of gastric mucosal cells.

Aim: To analyze the localization of erythropoietin receptor on gastric specimens and characterize the effects of erythropoietin on the normal gastric epithelial proliferation using a porcine gastric epithelial cell culture model.

Methods: Erythropoietin receptor was detected by RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochermistry. Growth stimulation effects of erythropoietin on cultured gastric mucosal cells were determined by ELISA using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU).

Preservation of the characteristics of the cultured human type II alveolar epithelial cells.

The human type II alveolar epithelial cells lost their specific characteristics during cultivation. We examined the ultrastructural and biochemical nature of the human type II cells cultured by two culture systems. To make a physiological alveoli model, the epithelial cells were seeded onto the cell culture insert and allowed contact with the air directly.