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1989
Conference Paper
Titel
Hirudin from cell cultures of the leech Hirudo medicinalis
Alternative
Hirudin aus Zellkulturen des Blutegels Hirudo medicialis
Abstract
A method for the isolation of the salivary gland cells of the leech Hirudo medicinalis and a culture medium for the cultivation of these cells has been developed. The cells were cultivated at 20 degree C in air. After tissue dissociation, the glandular cells stayed alive for up to 3 weeks. For comparison the undissociated tissue had a survival time of more than 10 weeks and an outgrow of cells could be noticed. The production of hirudin and the stimulation of the hirudin release could only be obtained with glandular tissue. The survival time of the dissociated glandular cells was not sufficient for such investigations. The long-term-experiment over a period of 9 weeks showed a 60% higher hirudin concentration than the glandular tissue before cultivation. Therefore de-novo-synthesis of hirudin occured under these conditions. A stimulus of 15 resp. 150 myM Serotonin led to a dose-dependent release of hirudin which lasted longer with the higher concentration of serotonin. The methods deve loped for the cultivation of Hirudo medicinalis cells for hirudin production should also be suitable for production of other biologically active substances e.g. in other kinds of leeches. They proved useful for the cultivation of phylogenetically related invertebrate cells.