The growth of mouse prostate during culture in vitro in chemically defined and natural media, and after transplantation in vivo

Organ culture of benign, aging, and hyperplastic human prostate

Organ culture of the human prostate began in the 1970s and was modeled after the work of Lasnitzki and her collaborators in the mouse two decades earlier. In organ culture of human prostates, one sees a rapid increase in epithelial cells and decrease in stromal cells during the first 3-5 days of culture. While modulation of many phenotypic properties occurs, these cultures provide a simple and rapid way to achieve large numbers of human prostatic epithelial cells in cultured tissues that are markedly depleted of stromal cells. There is some evidence that organ cultures are maintained in slightly better functional states in the presence of androgens; however, most of this evidence is less than quantitative. Most organ culture of prostates has been accomplished with tissues from unspecified locations within the prostate; interpretation of cultures carried out in this fashion has been less complete than would have been possible if they had been carried out from specific anatomic locations within the prostate. Careful pathological characterization of locations contiguous to the cultured tissue is mandatory if cultures are to be interpreted meaningfully.

Immunocytochemical demonstration of insulin or insulin-like immunoreactivity in the rat prostate gland

The indirect immunocytochemical technique was used in conjunction with anti-insulin antisera to localize insulin-like immunoreactivity in tissue sections and primary cell cultures from rat prostate gland. Positive immunostaining for insulin-like reactivity was demonstrated in the epithelium of the prostate gland. There appeared to be some variation in the intensity and localization of the immunoreactivity within different regions of the gland. Prostatic epithelial cells grown in culture in an insulin-free medium displayed strong cytoplasmic immunostaining when treated with anti-insulin antisera, while nuclear staining was absent. These results demonstrate that insulin-like immunoreactivity is present in the epithelium of the prostate gland and suggest that there may be some local insulin or insulin-like synthesis in this organ.

Effect of orchidectomy and testosterone substitution on enzyme activities and DNA content in rat liver and epididymal fat

Orchidectomy of rats resulted in increased concentration and whole organ amount of DNA both in the epididymal fat pad and liver. Liver hexokinase (HK) and phosphofructokinase (PFK) activities were raised after orchidectomy, but were normalized by testosterone substitution. Several glycolytic enzymes, and fumarase and aspartate aminotransferase were increased by orchidectomy in epididymal fat. Most of the enzyme changes tended to normalize after testosterone administration. Activities of NADPH generating enzymes were increased after orchidectomy both in liver and epididymal fat. When related to DNA, several enzyme activities in both tissues fell following castration. However, liver HK, PFK and NADPH generating enzymes, as well as epididymal fat HK and isocitrate dehydrogenase were elevated after castration also when related to DNA. The results suggest that the influence of testosterone on cell proliferation is organ-specific. The observed enzyme alterations after orchidectomy might partly explain fat accumulation and hyperlipoproteinemia encountered in castrates.