title: A comparative study of mouse nasal septal and turbinal epithelium for in vitro cell cultures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The small number of epithelial cells that can be isolated from mouse respiratory tract has limited its application to study of the airway. Our purpose in this work was to compare the potential of mouse nasal septal and turbinal epithelium for serving as a cell source for in vitro cell cultures.
  
  
  METHODS
  The distribution of ciliated epithelial cells in the mouse nasal cavity, and the surface area of the respiratory epithelium in the mouse nasal septum and turbinate were determined by β-tubulin IV immunohistochemistry. Ciliated epithelial cell density of native mouse nasal septum and turbinate, and the morphology of cultured mouse nasal septal and turbinal epithelial cells were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and β-tubulin IV and zona occludens (ZO)-1 dual-label fluorescent cytochemistry, respectively. Cilia reactivity to exogenous stimuli (adenosine triphosphate or benzalkonium chloride) in cultured nasal septal and turbinal epithelial cells was studied using high-speed digital microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ciliated epithelial cell density of native nasal epithelium, the morphology and cell yield of in vitro cultured epithelial cells, and cilia reactivity to exogenous stimuli of mouse turbinate are comparable to that of the nasal septum. However, the respiratory epithelium surface area of mouse turbinate is significantly larger than that of the nasal septum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mouse turbinate may also serve as an ideal source of in vitro epithelial cell cultures. Both nasal septum and turbinate should be harvested to optimize animal use in the establishment of primary murine respiratory epithelial cultures.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (Ministry of Education), Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shanzhe
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Erzhong
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Demin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Luo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001548:Benzalkonium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002923:Cilia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D014420:Turbinates / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D001548:Benzalkonium Compounds; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate