Developing a reproducible protocol for culturing functional confluent monolayers of differentiated equine oviduct epithelial cells

We describe the development of two methods for obtaining confluent monolayers of polarized, differentiated equine oviduct epithelial cells (EOEC) in Transwell inserts and microfluidic chips. EOECs from the ampulla were isolated post-mortem and seeded either (1) directly onto a microporous membrane as differentiated EOECs (direct seeding protocol) or (2) first cultured to a confluent de-differentiated monolayer in conventional wells, then trypsinized and seeded onto a microporous membrane (re-differentiation protocol). Maintenance or induction of EOEC differentiation in these systems was achieved by air–liquid interface introduction. Monolayers cultured via both protocols were characterized by columnar, cytokeratin 19-positive EOECs in Transwell inserts. However, only the re-differentiation protocol could be transferred successfully to the microfluidic chips. Integrity of the monolayers was confirmed by transepithelial resistance measurements, tracer flux, and the demonstration of an intimate network of tight junctions. Using the direct protocol, 28% of EOECs showed secondary cilia at the apical surface in a diffuse pattern. In contrast, re-differentiated polarized EOECs rarely showed secondary cilia in either culture system (>90% of the monolayers showed <1% ciliated EOECs). Occasionally (5–10%), re-differentiated monolayers with 11–27% EOECs with secondary cilia in a diffuse pattern were obtained. Additionally, nuclear progesterone receptor expression was found to be inhibited by simulated luteal phase hormone concentrations, and sperm binding to cilia was higher for re-differentiated EOEC monolayers exposed to estrogen–progesterone concentrations mimicking the follicular rather than luteal phase. Overall, a functional equine oviduct model was established with close morphological resemblance to in vivo oviduct epithelium.