Metaplasia in Endocervical Tissue Maintained in Organ Culture–an Experimental Model

Abstract

Summary Endocervical columnar epithelium with stroma intact, was maintained in organ culture for up to ten days. Many explants showed a progressive dedifferentiation, pyknosis and eventual loss of columnar cells with a gradual replacement of these with metaplastic cells apparently of stromal origin. This was a progression of changes similar to squamous metaplasia seen in vivo. Studies of the surface characteristics of the cultured tissue, with the scanning electron microscope, showed a change of cell type from columnar cells with closely packed micro‐villi, to a flattened squamous type with interdigitating cell boundaries and a mixed surface structure of micro‐ridges and micro‐villi. The significance of these results and the use of this organ culture system as a model in the study of the actiology of cervical malignancy is discussed.

Cervico‐Vaginal Tissue Ex Vivo as a Model to Study Early Events in HIV‐1 Infection

“…Cervical explant cultures were first developed by Fink et al 44 for the study of epithelium metaplasia in vitro. They consisted of large tissue explants (5 · 5 · 2 mm or 5 · 10 · 3 mm) cultured on a thin slab of agarose-gelled serum-free Eagle's Basal Medium on top of a stainless steel supporting grid.…”

In vitro modelling of the physiological and diseased female reproductive system

“…• Agarose [253][254][255][256] • Alginate [257,258] • Gelatin [253] Materials that prevent microbes from penetrating the stroma from the side…”