Human prostatic adenoma and carcinoma. Transplantation of cultured cells and primary tissue fragments in "nude" mice.

Tissues from human prostatic carcinomas and adenomas as well as cells from permanent cell lines originating from such tumors were transplanted into the subcutaneous space of "nude" mice. A total of 208 such transplantations were carried out. For transplantation of primary tumor tissue several techniques were used. Transplantation of single pieces of about 50 mg of tissue from carcinomas and adenomas provided the best results. With this technique carcinoma tissue was recovered from five of 10 tumors transplanted into 46 "nude" mice. Carcinoma was found in seven of 25 "nude" mice that were castrated and treated with testosterone but only once in 21 transplantations into castrates without testosterone substitution. This may suggest that heterotransplants of human prostatic carcinoma tissue can be established more easily in testosteronized animals. In the case of adenoma transplants, the histological picture was strikingly similar to the original tumors. Secretory activity was found in some acini, squamous metaplasia in others. Heterotransplantation of cells from permanent cell lines resulted in fast growing carcinomas without similarity to the origianl tumors. Dependence on hormones for growth of EB 33 and MA 160 cells in "nude" mice was not shown.