Chapter 8 Long-Term Explant Culture of Normal Human Prostate

Abstract

This chapter summarizes recent findings of baseline studies on morphologic and histochemical alterations during long-term explant culture (24 weeks) of normal human prostate obtained at immediate autopsy of young adults. These findings demonstrate survival, mitosis, migration, and differentiation of prostatic basal cells in vitro . The only approach currently available to obtain abundant and viable normal prostate for in vitro studies is that based on the immediate autopsy. Viability is excellent, contamination of cultured tissues is infrequent, and long-term in vitro maintenance of epithelial cells is possible. As immediate autopsy can be performed on young adults, in whom benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or latent adenocarcinoma is unlikely, normal prostate tissue can be obtained. One of the most striking changes, which take place in prostatic epithelium during early periods in vitro , is alteration in secretory cells. The principal histologic, histochemical, and fine structural changes in normal human prostate during long-term explant culture is summarized.