Isolation and primary culture of chicken intestinal epithelial cells retaining normal in vivo-like morphology

Abstract

A procedure for the isolation and primary culture of epithelial cells from the mucosal region of the upper ileum in the chicken is described. When cells are isolated using this technique, normal in vivo-like morphology and viability are obtained and can be maintained in short-term as well as primary cultures exceeding 3 wk. This procedure for isolation of enterocytes is easily performed and provides access to primary mucosal epithelial cell cultures for pathologic and physiologic investigations of isolated chicken enterocyte function.