Characterization of bovine pancreatic ductal cells isolated by a perfusion-digestion technique.

Bovine pancreatic ductal cells isolated by perfusing an enzyme solution into the lumen of the main duct were obtained as sheets of cells. Morphologic features of these cells were those of pancreatic ductal epithelial cells. These cells also contained alcian blue/periodic acid-Schiff positive material and bound lectins, and they stained for keratin in the same manner as intact ductal epithelium. In culture, the plating efficiency was high (13.6%) as determined by DNA content before and after 24 h plating, perhaps due to the gentle isolation technique and the isolation of sheets of cells rather than a single cell. Cell doubling time was 34.4 h in Eagle's minimal essential medium with 10% heat inactivated fetal bovine serum and antibodies, and over 95% of the cells incorporated [3H]thymidine during a 6 h labeling period after 4 d in primary culture. Isolated cells grew best in medium CMRL 1066 with 10% heat inactivated fetal bovine serum as determined by measuring DNA content.