BACKGROUND: In vitro culture of human primary first-trimester trophoblast cells is the study basis for various diseases in pregnancy. Currently, it is a hotspot to obtain a large amount of high-purity trophoblast cells as well as to simplify the experimental procedure.
OBJECTIVE: To explore a culture method to harvest high-purity human primary first-trimester trophoblast cells.
METHODS: Normal chorionic villi (5-10 weeks) were obtained for primary culture of human primary first-trimester trophoblast cells using tissue-culture method and trypsin digestion combined with differential adhesion method. We observed the expression of cytokeratin and vimentin by immunohistochemistry to identify the purity of cultured trophoblast cells.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: These two methods could obtain human primary first-trimester trophoblast cells in triangular and polygonal shape. The positive expression of cytokeratin and negative expression of vimentin were found by immunohistochemistry. The purity of cultured cells using trypsin digestion combined with differential adhesion method was higher than that using tissue-culture method (P < 0.05). Trypsin digestion combined with differential adhesion method is a better method to culture human primary first-trimester trophoblast cells.

Zhang XH, Wang HL, Bai JT, Li YH, Xu Q. Comparison of two ways to culture human primary first-trimester trophoblast cells. Zhongguo Zuzhi Gongcheng Yanjiu. 2012;16(15): 2793-2796.     [http://www.crter.cn  http://en.zglckf.com]