Trophic effect of amniotic fluid on cultured fetal gastric mucosal cells.

This study examines the hypothesis that the growth and development of fetal gastric epithelial cells is critically dependent on the presence of trophic factors in amniotic fluid. Fetal gastric epithelial cells (predominantly parietal cells) were grown in culture in the presence of graded concentrations of rabbit amniotic fluid, fetal bovine serum, or a control solution containing the nutrients specific to amniotic fluid. After 7 days, cells were harvested and growth was assessed by cell counts and DNA contents. Amniotic fluid stimulated growth of these cultured cells with a potency similar to that of fetal bovine serum. Cell growth was significantly enhanced by amniotic fluid at each dose tested, when compared to the appropriate nutrient control group. Cell growth could not be maintained in the absence of amniotic fluid or fetal bovine serum. We conclude that amniotic fluid contains factors which are trophic to the growth of cultured fetal gastric epithelial cells. The nature of these factors remains to be determined.