Mesothelial cells lining the peritoneal cavity are the primary site of molecular exchange during peritoneal dialysis, a life support system for over 50,000 patients worldwide. In this study, techniques are described for the isolation and propagation in culture of peritoneal mesothelial cells from rats and rabbits. For comparison, mesothelial cells were also obtained from the serosal surface of human colonic tissue. By electron microscopy the cultured cells were found to exhibit microvilli, a well-developed endoplasmic reticulum and golgi apparatus, micropinocytotic vesicles, and lipid-filled intracellular vesicles. Immunochemical probes revealed the expression by these cells in vitro of cytokeratin, fibronectin, vimentin, and keratin, but not von Willebrand factor. Mesothelial cells from rat, rabbit, and human exhibited contact inhibition, but differences in growth rates and dependence on supplements to the growth media. This work provides a multispecies comparison of the behavior of mesothelial cells in vitro for the purpose of developing an experimental system for the study of mesothelial cell biology and the role of these cells in peritoneal dialysis.

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