Proliferative potential and expression of cell type specific functions in primary mouse colonic epithelial cells

Primary cultures of mouse colonic epithelial cells have been obtained that are typically epithelial by morphology and moreover express keratins and endogenous beta-galactosidase; this latter activity was also demonstrated in the epithelial lining of the mouse colonic mucosa. The proliferative response of the primary colonic epithelial cells to epidermal growth factor, insulin, and the bile acid, deoxycholic acid, has been studied. Using primary cultures maintained at suboptimal growth conditions, which yielded 96 to 100% quiescent cells, epidermal growth factor, insulin, and the bile acid, deoxycholic acid, at concentrations at which it normally occurs in the aqueous phase of human feces, stimulated proliferation as measured by autoradiography. Exposure of the cells to combinations of these factors resulted in additive increases in growth. In conclusion, cells from the normal mouse colon can now be cultured while retaining at least two normal marker functions and moreover respond to some known mitogens and the potential tumor promoter deoxycholic acid. The cells can also be subcultivated while maintaining their epithelial morphology and marker functions for at least 3 passages.