Standardization of human diploid fibroblast cultivation: trypsinization procedure

Human embryonic diploid lung fibroblasts were used to examine the influence of the trypsinizing procedure on the growth and adsorption of these cells. The best buffer for trypsinizing these cells was Hanks balanced salt solution containing 0.5% lactalbumin hydrolysate. Trypsinizing cells at 4 C gave better growth results than trypsinization at higher temperatures. The presence of antibiotics in the trypsin buffer increased the longevity of the cells. Cells initially trypsinized from tissue in phosphate-buffered saline without Ca(2+) or Mg(2+) and 0.33 m sucrose plus 10(-3)m Mg(2+) gave rise to better subsequent growth and adsorption than cells from tissue trypsinized in other buffers.

Standardization of human diploid cell cultivation

Human embryonic diploid lung fibroblasts grown in Eagle's medium were exposed continually to a variety of environmental conditions over a large number of passages to observe how these conditions affected the growth and longevity of these cells in vitro. The cells grew well at temperatures between 34 and 37 C and some cells could be adapted to grow at 40 C. Very limited growth occurred at 30 to 31 C; however, confluent monolayers of cells could be maintained for months at 30 C and still give rise to actively growing cultures. Increasing the amino acid concentration in Eagle's medium or the calf serum concentration above 10% had no effect on the growth rate or longevity. One per cent calf serum could not support prolonged active growth. Trypsin concentrations between 1 and 0.1% and crystalline trypsin at 50 mug/ml showed no influence on cell growth. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid treatment and scraping, however, destroyed many of the cells, and the survivors grew poorly. The clonal morphology varied with age. Young cells frequently gave rise to densely packed clones, whereas older cells gave rise to clones with widely scattered cells. The cloning efficiency was high when the cells were young but decreased rapidly with successive passage. It was relatively constant from the 7th to 20th passage at about 15%.

Evaluation of methods for reestablishment of L-cell suspension cultures directly from liquid nitrogen stored stocks

Methods were developed and evaluated for the preservation of tissue cells grown in suspension culture and the reestablishment of suspension cultures directly from inoculum stored at -175 C. The factors investigated were processing pH, temperature of processing, freezing medium, and method of inoculation of the starter suspension cultures from the frozen stock (-175 C). Three parameters, cell viability, cell size, and growth potential in suspension culture after freezing, were used to evaluate the various factors. The results indicate that cells processed at 4 C, frozen at 1 C per min to -50 C in a medium containing 5% dimethyl sulfoxide plus 10% bovine serum at concentrations of 2 x 10(7) to 4 x 10(7) cells/ml, and stored at -175 C will reestablish suspension cultures directly from frozen seed. A 1-ml amount of frozen stock inoculated into 99 ml of medium routinely produced 2 x 10(6) to 3 x 10(6) viable cells/ml (2 x 10(8) to 3 x 10(8) total cells) in suspension culture in 4 to 5 days. Inoculum preserved by this procedure grew equally well in either serum-free or serum-containing growth medium.

Type 2 bovine adenovirus as an adventitious contaminant in primary bovine embryonic kidney cell cultures

Three lots of primary bovine embryonic kidney cell cultures obtained from commercial sources were found to contain type 2 bovine adenovirus. These cell cultures, apparently derived from healthy fetuses, required long incubation periods before the virus could be detected.

Enzymatic and chromosomal characterization of HeLa variants

Seven strains of HeLa cells have been characterized by the number of chromosomes and the activity of the enzymes alkaline phosphatase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconic dehydrogenase, and lactic dehydrogenase. All seven strains were found to differ as to chromosome numbers and enzyme levels despite the fact that two strains were called HeLa and three were called HeLa S3. Three strains were found to have a stemline in which greater than 60% of the cells demonstrated a single chromosome number, and this characteristic was stable for at least 6 months. A nomenclature for these clones has been suggested by the use of the stemline chromosome number as a subscript following HeLa. These three clones were, therefore, designated HeLa(65), HeLa(71), and HeLa(75). Karyotypes were made of the stemlines of these clones and were compared with enzyme levels. Alkaline phosphatase showed the greatest variation from cell line to cell line with a 200-fold difference in levels, whereas glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase showed variation in activity over a 12-fold range, lactic dehydrogenase over an 8-fold range, and 6-phosphogluconic dehydrogenase over a 2-fold range. It is suggested that human cell strains can be used for biochemical studies if they are cloned and if the clones are relatively stable at least with respect to modal chromosome number and karyotype.