Establishment of primary cell cultures from human and canine parathyroid gland explants.

Primary parathyroid cell cultures were established from 22 canine and 20 human parathyroid glands explanted into Connaught Medical Research Laboratory-1415 (CMRL-1415) medium containing fetal calf serum (FCS). Initiation of cellular outgrowth and the rate of cellular propagation through the first subcultures were evaluated in various media. These included Roswell Park Memorial Institute-1640 (RPMI-1640), minimal essential medium (MEM), medium-199 (M-199) and Coon's modified Ham's F-12 (F12) and CMRL-1415 media. Only CMRL-1415 medium supplemented with FCS invariably supported the vigorous rate of cellular growth as determined by the number of cells in cultures, their viability, parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in the growth media and the number of proliferating cells. Propagation of parathyroid cells in vitro was limited to five passages. Cessation of cell division was always coincidental with the emergence of numerous, non-dividing binucleated cells. These experiments demonstrate that primary parathyroid cell cultures from canine and human parathyroid gland explants can be readily established in CMRL-1415 medium containing FCS.