Differentiation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in culture: an ultrastructural study.

An ultrastructural and cytochemical study of normal human mammary epithelial cells cultured from post-weaning breast fluids is described. Cells were examined at the time of plating and at intervals up to 28 days in culture. Three different stages in the morphological differentiation of these cells in vitro were observed: (1) the first stage was the formation of a monolayer of single cells, which occurred between days 1 and 10 in culture. The cells in this stage were not interconnected by junctional complexes and lacked Mg++- dependent ATPase activity in the plasma membranes, but did contain a large quantity of lipid and exhibited some secretory characteristics. (2) The second stage, occurring at 10 to 16 days in culture, was characterized by the formation of junctional complexes, the appearance of Mg++-dependent ATPase in the plasma membrane and a decrease in the number of dense bodies with peroxidase activity. (3) The third stage, occurring at 16 to 28 days in culture, was characterized by the formation of stratified layers of epithelial cells, which were interconnected by a larger number of desmosomes with numerous pleomorphic microfilaments. The Mg++-dependent ATPase activity in the plasma membrane was retained and the dense bodies with peroxidase activity were rarely observed at this stage. During the last seven days were prominent in the cells of the stratified layer. After 28 days in the culture, the cells began to round up and slough off the culture plate.