Objective: To demonstrate the quality of a new model which gives a close representation of the in situ gland for studying functional characteristics of lacrimal acinar cells. A method has been long sought which would serve as a good in-situ model for studying functional attributes of lacrimal acinar cells. Previous methods used cell plates coated with Matrigel as a growth interface for lacrimal acinar cells.
Two problems associated with this method are: cell cultures seeded this way provided a restrictive, planar growth interface, and the inability to maintain cultures beyond seven days, due in part to a lack of proliferation. A modification of recent methods (Guo et al., 1998) was implemented. The cell preparations were coated with a Hepato Stim® Medium (supplemented with EGF, DHT) and Matrigel. The medium is an extracellular matrix enriched solubilized preparation developed from the basement membranes of the Englebreth-Holm-Swarm mouse sarcoma line.