title: Establishment and characterization of a cytotrophoblast cell line from normal placenta of human origin.
abstract: A cell line has been established from human placentae at the first trimester of normal pregnancy. The cell line was obtained by culture of purified cytotrophoblast cells in serum-free medium supplemented with epidermal growth factor, insulin, dexamethasone and 0.1% bovine serum albumin. The cells can be subcultured for >30 passages in one to three splits. All the cells were mononuclear epithelial-like cells positive to cytokeratin 18, gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), neuropeptide Y, neurotensin, leucine-enkephalin, dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine immunocytochemical staining. The cells secreted GnRH, progesterone and oestradiol (in the presence of testosterone) but little human chorionic gonadotrophin and no beta-endorphin. The cell line showed human karyotypes and had a population doubling time of 48 h in serum-free medium. However, the cells would stop growing in the medium containing fetal bovine serum. A normal cytotrophoblast cell line established in serum-free medium will be particularly useful in the study of cytotrophoblast cell proliferation and differentiation.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rong-Hao
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: L Z
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Zhuang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002455:Cell Division; D002460:Cell Line; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000032:analysis; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011374:Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D011374:Progesterone