Establishment of a gastric epithelial progenitor cell line from a transgenic mouse expressing the simian virus 40 large T antigen gene in the parietal cell lineage.
OBJECTIVE
In this study the gastric mucosa of transgenic mice expressing the simian virus 40 large T antigen gene in the parietal cell lineage is used to establish and characterize a new epithelial progenitor cell line. In these mice, proliferation and amplification of preparietal cells preclude their maturation into acid-secreting parietal cells leading to achlorohydria, hyperplasia, dysplasia and eventually gastric adenocarcinoma.


METHODS
Enzymatically dispersed gastric epithelial cells were cultured, cloned and screened using immunohistochemical methods, for expression of a variety of biomarkers of differentiated pit, parietal, enteroendocrine and neck/zymogenic cells.


RESULTS
A biomarker-deficient cell line whose ultrastructural features resembled those of mouse gastric epithelial progenitor cells was established. Treatment with either hydrocortisone or oestrogen significantly enhanced proliferation of these cells, whereas retinoic acid inhibited their growth. No change in differentiation was detected with any of these treatments; however, when these cells were injected subcutaneously into nude mice, they proliferated to form tumours and undergo partial differentiation towards parietal cell lineage.


CONCLUSIONS
This mouse gastric epithelial progenitor cell line could be useful as an in vitro model to study growth properties, proliferation and differentiation of a subpopulation of gastric epithelial progenitor cells and also to study gastric carcinogenesis.
Farook
V S
VS
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait.
Alkhalaf
M
M
Karam
S M
SM
D000818:Animals; D000952:Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010295:Parietal Cells, Gastric / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology
D000952:Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming; D015415:Biomarkers; D004967:Estrogens; D014212:Tretinoin; D006854:Hydrocortisone