Differentiation-Arrested Rat Fetal Lung in Primary Monolayer Cell Culture

Abstract

In vitro observations of fetal lung maturation are complicated by continued epithelial cell maturation in culture. Removal of trace quantities of cortisol from the culture system has been reported elsewhere by Torday to prevent epithelial cell differentiation, but also prevent cell growth. In this report we have developed monolayer cell cultures from 18-, 19-, 20-, and 22-day-gestation fetal rat lung in a culture system stripped of steroid and thyroid hormones. These cultures demonstrate lamellar body development comparable to that seen in vivo at the gestational age at which cultures were developed; the gestation-dependant increase in precursor incorporation into saturated lecithin observed in these cultures is similar to that reported in in vivo studies, yet cell growth in culture has been preserved.