AJP - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, Vol 239, Issue 4 288-G294, Copyright © 1980 by American Physiological Society
Primary cultures of feline acinar cells: dissociation, culturing, and viral infection
M. E. Fritz, P. LaVeau, A. J. Nahmias, R. J. Weigel and F. Lee
A technique for dissociating and plating of feline parotid acinar cells by
enzymatic dispersion with collagenase and trypsin is presented. Viability
of the cultured cells was determined by: 1) estimating cellular growth with
visual cell counts and by [3H]thymidine incorporation; 2) observing the
lack of uptake of vital dyes by the cultured cells: 3) making light, phase
contrast, and electron microscopic morphological examinations; and 4)
determining the lack of amylase secretion without stimulation, and the
evidence of amylase secretion in response to isoproterenol. The cultured
feline parotid acinar cells were infected with feline rhinotracheitis
virus, a member of the herpes group. Evidence for viral infection was
morphological and by indirect fluorescent antibody studies. The viral
infected cells also showed no amylase release without stimulation and
demonstrated an initial response to a beta-adrenergic agonist by secretion
of amylase, but repeated stimulation of the virally infected cells did not
produce amylase secretion.
