ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:It is important to produce and save a large amount of high-activity feeder cel s for the culture of human embryonic stem cel s. OBJECTIVE:To establish the optimal method for isolation and culture of Kunming mouse embryonic fibroblasts, and to evaluate the feasibility of preparing feeder layers for culture of human embryonic stem cel s. METHODS:Embryonic fibroblasts were isolated and cultured by different concentrations of trypsin from Kunming mouse fetuses in vitro. The biological characteristics and growth rule of mouse embryonic fibroblasts were investigated, and then the feeder layers for human embryonic stem cel s culture were produced. The growth of human embryonic stem cel s on the prepared feeder layer was tested. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The optimal fetal age for preparing Kunming mouse embryonic fibroblast feeder layer was 13.5 days. Kunming mouse embryonic fibroblasts at different concentrations grew wel with high purity and active proliferation by trypsin digestion method. There was no significant difference in the survival rate of cel s after cryopreservation for 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months. The cel s were proliferative from the second to fourth passage and declined sharply after the fifth passage. Human embryonic stem cel s which grew on Kunming mouse embryonic fibroblasts feeder layers were stil to remain the typical undifferentiated morphology and were strongly positive for alkaline phosphatase and periodic acid-Schiff after long-term subculture. The mouse embryonic fibroblasts can be used as the stable and high-quality feeder cel s for human embryonic stem cel s.
