Organ culture of normal human bladder: choice of starting material and culture characteristics

Fibroblast growth factor-10 signals development of von Brunn's nests in the exstrophic bladder

von Brunn's nests have long been recognized as precursors of benign lesions of the urinary bladder mucosa. We report here that von Brunn's nests are especially prevalent in the exstrophic bladder, a birth defect that predisposes the patient to formation of bladder cancer. Cells of von Brunn's nest were found to coalesce into a stratified, polarized epithelium which surrounds itself with a capsule-like structure rich in types I, III, and IV collagen. Histocytochemical analysis and keratin profiling demonstrated that nested cells exhibited a phenotype similar, but not identical, to that of urothelial cells of transitional epithelium. Immunostaining and in situ hybridization analysis of exstrophic tissue demonstrated that the FGF-10 receptor is synthesized and retained by cells of von Brunn's nest. In contrast, FGF-10 is synthesized and secreted by mesenchymal fibroblasts via a paracrine pathway that targets basal epithelial cells of von Brunn's nests. Small clusters of 10pRp cells, positive for both FGF-10 and its receptor, were observed both proximal to and inside blood vessels in the lamina propria. The collective evidence points to a mechanism where von Brunn's nests develop under the control of the FGF-10 signal transduction system and suggests that 10pRp cells may be the original source of nested cells.

[Current status of tissue engineering in urology. Review of the literature]

In the eighties a new field of the medicine appears wich applies the principles of cellular cultivation to synthetic biodegradable polymers scaffolds with the purpose of creating autologous biological substitutes that could improve, maintain or restore the function of organs or damaged tissues. The Tissue Engineering constitutes a new discipline in full phase of development especially in USA, with multiple potential applications in several medical specialities. Our speciality can't remain indifferent to interest and encouraging future originated by this new science. In this work we have made a wide bibliographical revision in the Medline to know the antecedents, current state and the possible future applications of Tissue Engineering in Urology.

Adenovirus-mediated gene therapy for bladder cancer: efficient gene delivery to normal and malignant human urothelial cells in vitro and ex vivo

Existing local therapies for superficial transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder have limited success in preventing progression to life-threatening, muscle-invasive disease, and novel therapies are needed. Recent studies have raised doubts concerning the feasibility of adenovirus-mediated gene therapy for bladder cancer. We have therefore investigated adenoviral transduction of normal and malignant human urothelial cells, both as primary cultures and in intact epithelium. All 15 primary normal human urothelial cell lines tested were transduced in vitro by Adv-cmv-beta-gal at high efficiency, and better than most human TCC cell lines. Eight primary human TCC explants were also successfully transduced. In contrast, in intact normal urothelium, transduction efficiency was lower, and occurred only in superficial epithelial layers. Expression of the hCAR adenovirus receptor, however, occurred throughout the full thickness of urothelium. Transduction of human TCC biopsy specimens was at least as efficient as intact normal urothelium.We demonstrate for the first time that adenoviral transduction of both normal and malignant human urothelial cells is feasible. A physical barrier, rather than hCAR status, may be the main determinant of transduction of intact epithelium. Clinical trials of adenovirus-mediated gene therapy for superficial bladder cancer are warranted.

Histomorphometry and cell kinetics of normal human bladder mucosa in vitro

In this study, we have quantified the morphologic and kinetic parameters of explant cultured normal adult human urinary bladder mucosa. Quantitative parameters studied were urothelial height, cell density, labelling index and mitotic index. For these studies, urinary bladders from seven adults with no previous history of urologic disease were obtained at autopsy. Mucosal explants were maintained in rocking culture on Gelfoam rafts for up to 33 days using supplemented CMRL 1066 medium. Prior to sampling, cultures were treated with tritiated thymidine and colchicine to investigate tissue kinetics. Data was based on histologic autoradiograms. During culture, urothelial cells retained normal polarity. During the first week of culture, urothelial height increased and cell density decreased. DNA synthesis and mitotic activity occurred primarily among basal cells. DNA synthesis was first noted on day 2 of culture; mitotic activity began after 3 days of culture. Morphologically, human urothelium was well maintained; DNA synthesis and mitotic activity was variable but continued throughout culture.

Metastatic tumor cell invasion of brain organ tissue cultured on cellulose polyacetate strips

Brain organ cells were cultured on cellulose polyacetate and other substrates in order to investigate metastatic tumor cell invasion in vitro. The cultures consisted of small pieces (approximately 1 X 3 mm) of neonatal mouse cerebrum or cerebellum tissue. Brain tissue pieces were allowed to attach to the substrates and were then cultured for 14-15 days in roller tubes. Cellulose polyacetate was found to be the best substrate for the attachment of brain tissue, and it eliminated some of the undesirable tissue movements that occurred using other substrates. Also, the invasion assays were the most reproducible using this tissue support. In culture, both cerebrum and cerebellum tissue achieved stable structures by 14 days, but the neurons and astrocytes in these tissues continued to exhibit structural changes such as extension of cellular processes. Murine B16 melanoma cells selected in vivo 15 times for brain colonization bound rapidly to and invaded brain tissue, infiltrating deep into the tissue within 4 hours and displacing the entire tissue by 5 days. Many of the B16 tumor cells extended pseudopodia and filopodia during invasion, suggesting that their tissue infiltration was an active invasive process. However, some B16 cells remained spherical in shape with numerous surface microvilli, but these same tumor cells also moved into the brain tissue. Brain tissue attached to cellulose polyacetate appeared to be the most useful system for elucidating the invasive interactions of malignant cells with brain tissues in vitro.

Human bladder tumors in organ culture

We have established a reliable method for culturing transitional cell tumors of the human urinary bladder. Out of seventy-four set up in culture, forty-eight were successfully maintained and their behavior studied using metaphase arrest and 125IUdR uptake.

Serial cultivation of normal rat bladder epithelial cells in vitro

Recent advances in culture techniques for human urothelial cells have led to the development of an improved method for growing primary rat bladder epithelial cells. We report here the conditions developed for large-scale in vitro growth and serial cultivation of normal diploid rat bladder epithelial cells. Primary cultures were initiated by attachment of bladder mucosal explants to type I collagen gels. A rapid outgrowth of epithelial cells from the explants occurred when cultured in a hormone-supplemented medium with epidermal growth factor. These primary outgrowths were passaged by nonenzymatic dispersion with 0.1 per cent ethylenediaminetetracetic acid and replating onto new gels. The capacity for routine serial passaging and maintenance of rat bladder epithelial cells required the presence of epidermal growth factor, a requirement not observed with human urothelial cells. The characteristics of the cultured rat bladder epithelial cells were similar to human urothelial cells in: ultrastructural and phase-contrast morphologic properties, showing junctional complexes, desmosomes, stratification and an apical glycocalyx; the absence of stromal cell contamination; and the ability to be serially passaged. Spontaneous cell-line formation was observed with the rat bladder epithelial cells, but has not been found with the human urothelial cells. With the method that we have developed, the number of rat bladder epithelial cells generated from a single bladder of a 4 to 6 week old rat was increased 100-fold from about 7 X 10(5) cells to 7 X 10(7) viable cells within 3 weeks of culture. The capability of culturing normal, primary rat bladder epithelial cells on this scale has not been reported previously and will facilitate comparative studies of the biological and molecular characteristics of the mammalian urothelium. Furthermore, this culture system will be useful for carcinogenesis studies, including metabolic activation of carcinogens and cellular transformation in vitro.

Cultures of normal human urothelial cells from ureters of perfused cadaver transplant kidneys

In this comparative study, we report that urothelial cultures initiated from ureters of mechanically perfused cadaver-obtained transplant kidneys display characteristics of explant attachment, explant viability, cellular morphology and area of outgrowth essentially indistinguishable from cultures established from ureters of living donor kidneys. We conclude that ureter specimens from cadaver kidneys are a suitable, routinely available source of tissue from which cultures of normal human urothelial cells can be propagated.

Growth and characterization of normal human urothelium in vitro

A method for initiating rapidly growing cultures of normal human transitional cells from ureter and embryonic bladder specimens has been developed and quantified. A new microdissection technique was used to nonenzymatically separate the urothelium. The use of enriched medium containing 10 micrograms/ml insulin, 5 micrograms/ml transferrin, and 1 microgram/ml hydrocortisone resulted in improved growth. The use of thin collagen gel substrates (0.6 ml/60 mm petri dish) resulted in 97% attachment of explants compared to 77% attachment on plastic. Explants grown on thicker collagen (2 ml/60 mm petri dish) showed, in addition to better attachment, enhanced growth of cells as determined both by measurements of colony size and cell density. Cultures of transitional cells that were initiated using explants could be passed three to five times using 0.1% EDTA for dispersion. Autoradiography of [3H]thymidine-labeled cells showed an initial phase of rapid cell division in primary explant cultures and restimulation of cell division in passaged cultures. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the cells growing out from the explants were continuous with the stratified urothelium maintained in the original explant. Stratification of transitional cells occurred in cultures of both ureter and embryonic bladder cells. Surface cells were joined near their apices by junctional complexes. Desmosomes and Golgi vesicles were present in all cells. Passage in culture did not alter the morphological characteristics of cells.