Origin of outgrowth from isolated glomeruli in culture

The primary cellular outgrowth from isolated glomeruli was identified by examinations of the ultrastructural changes occurring in the three glomerular cell types during culture and by light and electron microscopic autoradiographic preparations of isolated glomeruli incubated with 3H-thymidine. It is demonstrated that the visceral epithelial cells constitute the majority of cells in the primary glomerular outgrowth and that another cell type probably originates from the mesangial cells. A method is described to obtain rather pure cultures of proliferating visceral epithelial cells suitable for further studies of their metabolic properties.