Isolation, culture and characterization of epithelial cells derived from rat ventral prostate.

Epithelial-cell enriched primary cultures have been established from rat ventral prostate (RVP). Minced ventral prostates were dissociated with 0.5% collagenase in F12K tissue culture medium containing 1% fetal bovine serum. This treatment resulted in the gradual removal of stromal elements from the base of the epithelial cells. After 60 minutes of digestion the aggregates of epithelial cells were washed and plated at high density in F12K plus 10% horse serum. After 48 hours in vitro the unattached cells were removed from the culture dishes, washed, and reinoculated into new culture vessels containing fresh medium. After 96 hours in vitro, the aggregates had attached to the culture vessels and spread out to yield discrete patches of epithelial cells. By 144 hours in vitro the patches of cells had grown and coalesced to form a semi-confluent monolayer of epithelial cells. Ultrastructrual examination of these cultures indicated that adjacent cells were joined by desmosomes and tight junctions and had formed "lumen-like structures" into which projected microvilli. In addition, the cells contained secretory granules and tonofilaments, giving them a morphological appearance similar to prostate epithelial cells in the intact organ. The primary cultures also retained histochemical activities for acid phosphatase, beta-glucuronidase, and succinic dehydrogenase that were similar to the intact organ.