Isolation and characterization of endothelial cells from rat and cow brain white matter

A procedure is described for obtaining pure cultures of endothelial cells from rat and cow brain white matter. The morphology of the tissue-cultured cells was studied by both light and transmission electron microscopy. Weibel-Palade bodies, described in the literature as specific for endothelial cells, appeared in small numbers in our cultured cells. Autoradiographic, scintillation counting, immunological and histochemical studies were performed. The usefulness of pure endothelial cell cultures is discussed.