Effect of 3-methylcholanthrene (NSC-21970) on human prostate in organ culture.

Long-term organ culture of normal human prostatic tissue with demonstration of functional and morphologic maintenance of the glandular epithelium is described. The carcinogen 3-methylcholanthrene at a level of 4 mug/ml in the culture fluid induced morphologic changes that were not observed in untreated cultures. The changes observed after exposure to the carcinogen for 15-30 days included hyperplasia and anaplasia of the glandular epithelial cells with large variation in nuclear size and shape. These changes were suggestive of a neoplastic potential.