Osmotic and other properties of isolated human cheek epithelial cells

This study describes some biological properties of human cheek (buccal epithelial) cells, isolated by mouth wash. Yields ranged from 6.5 to 20.6 x 10(6) cells, with a mean (+/- SE) of 12.2 +/- 4.2 x 10(6) cells, which gave 0.55 +/- 0.01 x 10(6) cells/mg protein. Vital stain exclusion was similar in cells isolated in either water (89 +/- 2%) or 250 mM sucrose (87 +/- 3%). From our measurements of cell volume and electrolyte content, we estimated intracellular Na+ and K+ concentrations to be between 0.3-0.5 and 7.4-13.0 mM, respectively. In 22 adult subjects, basal, prickle, intermediate, and superficial cells represented 0.3 +/- 1.4, 51 +/- 2.4, 26 +/- 0.9, and 22.7 +/- 1.8%, respectively, of the total sample. Cheek cells exhibited a low endogenous rate of oxygen consumption, which was stimulated by glucose or succinate and inhibited by KCN or NaF. Cheek cells were osmotically stable in a wide range of media, including water. However, they exhibited shrinkage and collapse in hypertonic media, particularly polyethylene glycol.