Differences in proliferative activity of rat and human prostate in culture.

The properties of human benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and rat prostate were compared after culture in the absence of insulin and testosterone. Quantitative methods were used to assess changes in tissue composition and the height of the epithelial cells. BPH appeared less sensitive than rat prostate to withdrawal of hormone support, and the changes which occurred during culture of BPH were more typical of a repair mechanism to injury than of a castration effect. Cell kinetics was investigated using [125I] iododeoxyuridine and vincristine. Both approaches demonstrated a spontaneous surge in proliferative activity of BPH reaching a peak at about Day 4. In contrast, proliferative activity in rat prostate tended to fall over the period of 2-8 days of culture. The significance of these findings in terms of age linked effects is discussed.