Development and characterization of immortalized rat parotid and submandibular acinar cell lines

The purpose of this investigation was to develop well-differentiated rat parotid and submandibular acinar cell lines. Acinar cells dissociated from rat parotid and submandibular glands were grown on Mitomycin C-treated 3T3 fibroblasts or Matrigel in primary culture and transfected by CaPO4 precipitation using a plasmid containing a replication-defective simian virus (SV40) genome. Cytokeratin analysis via indirect immunofluorescence and receptor mediated changes in intracellular calcium and cyclic AMP were assessed and used for the identification and selection of immortalized epithelial cells. Of the more than 60 clonal cell lines, four retained moderate to high levels of acinar differentiation through >60 passages. Ultrastructurally, there were tripartate junctional complexes and moderate amounts of rough endoplasmic reticulum and secretory granules. Functional studies indicated that beta-adrenoceptors, vasoactive intestinal peptide, and prostaglandin E1 were effective activators of intracellular cyclic AMP production in all cell lines. Alpha-adrenoceptors, muscarinic cholinoceptors, and P2U-purinoceptor agonists were effective in increasing intracellular inositol phosphate production and free calcium levels whereas substance P was ineffective. These data document the utility of the SV40 plasmid in immortalizing rat parotid and submandibular acinar cells that retain most of the features of acinar differentiation.