title: An organ-culture method for human colorectal mucosa using serum-free medium.
abstract: This study describes an explant organ-culture system in which human colonic mucosa can be maintained for prolonged periods in serum-free medium. Following an initial phase of epithelial cell loss, there was intense regenerative activity, with the reformation of tubular crypts. Estimation of crypt lengths revealed a marked reduction after 5 and 9 days in culture with corresponding increases in labelling indices for the whole crypt. The shapes of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-flash-labelling distribution curves were consistent with a proliferative compartment situated within the lower two-thirds of the crypt. We conclude that this is a useful in vitro model for the study of the effects of growth factors and growth-inhibitory agents in respect of cell proliferation in human colonic mucosa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Bristol, Bristol, U.K.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moorghen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Appleton
mesh_terms: D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D003106:Colon / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology; D008940:Mitotic Index; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine