A technique for harvesting mesothelial cells is described. This entails collagenase
digestion of omentum after which the cells can be cultured. The technique has been
developed using the rat, but has also been successfully applied to human tissue. Cultured
rat mesothelial cells obtained in this way have been examined by scanning electron
microscopy. Rat mesothelial cells grown on plastic film have been exposed to blood
in an in vitro system using a Baumgartner chamber and have been demonstrated to support blood flow.
No adhering platelets were observed on the mesothelial cell surface. Fibroblasts similarily
exposed to blood as a control were washed off the plastic.
Keywords
Mesothelial cell - Cell culture - Scanning electron microscopy - Platelets - Artificial
circulation - Vascular prosthesis