Human endometrial cancer cell cultures for hormonal studies.

A cell line of human endometrial adenocarcinoma (HEC1), established by Kuramoto et al. in 1968, was studied. The presence of estradici receptors in these cells was documented. The receptors were found to reside mainly in the nucleus, even when cells were grown in estrogenfree medium. Isolated nuclei from HEC cells could be labeled during incubations with [3H]estradiol at 0-4°.The induction of estradici 17/3-dehydrogenase by progestins, which has been demonstrated to occur in vivo and in vitro in normal proliferative endometrium, was attempted with these cells. The attempts were unsuccessful both when estradici and medroxyprogesterone acetate were added to the culture medium and when they were injected into hamsters bearing adenomatous tumors resulting from the transplantation of HEC cells into the cheek pouch. Intact glands, free of stromal components, were ob tained by collagenase treatment of specimens of welldifferentiated endometrial carcinoma, followed by filtra tion through stainless steel sieves. An abundance of branched glands was evident by light microscopy. Epithe lial cell monolayers were derived from these glands and examined by light and electron microscopy. The preparation of glands and epithelial cell monolay ers from specimens of endometrial carcinoma may pro vide opportunities to evaluate the responsiveness of the neoplasm to progestins, a test of potential value for the prediction of the efficacy of progestin treatment in individ ual patients. This approach may obviate the problems of viability encountered during the maintenance of frag ments of carcinomatous tissue in organ culture.