A method for the isolation and culture of epididymal epithelial cells obtained from pubertal and old adult rats is described. This method permits the establishment of primary cultures of these cells in monolayers from aggregates isolated from whole epididymides and major epididymal anatomical segments (caput, corpus, and cauda) after trypsin and collagenase digestions. A large number of cultured epididymal cells retain a differentiated function as demonstrated by the immunocytochemical and radioimmunoassay finding of acidic epididymal glycoprotein, a spermatozoa-coating protein secreted by the principal cells of rat epididymis. The proliferative potential of cultured epididymal cells obtained from pubertal and old adult donors can be documented by [3H]thymidine labeling and mitotic indices without significant loss of gene expression for acidic epididymal glycoprotein. Results of this study demonstrate that epididymal epithelial cells, consisting of a predominant population of principal cells, can be isolated, cultured, and maintained for up to 3 months.
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