Rat prostate explants in serum-free organ culture: A comparison of two media and gas mixtures

✍ Scribed by Nguyen-Le, Xuan Khai; Corcos, Jacques; Brière, Normand

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 571 KB
• Volume: 32
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0270-4137
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0045(19970615)32:1<43::aid-pros6>3.0.co;2-d

✦ Synopsis

BACKGROUND.

Urologists are looking for a way to easily discriminate between aggressive and very slow-growing prostate tumors. A sound way to appreciate such developing activities would be to identify an appropriate cell marker in prostate explants maintained in a defined culture system. METHODS. Different biological parameters were compared in rat prostate explants cultured for 5 days in rich CMRL or basic Leibovitz's L-15 medium, unsupplemented with serum, under a mixture of either 95% air/5% CO 2 or 50% N 2 /45% O 2 /5% CO 2 . RESULTS. DNA synthesis was somewhat similar with the two-gas combination, but was higher in explants maintained in L-15 medium than in CMRL. Hence, L-15 medium and the 95% air/5% CO 2 mixture were selected. Under these defined conditions for 5 days, cells were still able to synthesize DNA and proteins while preserving their morphological integrity and maintaining alkaline and acid phosphatase activities. CONCLUSIONS. Since the present culture system works well in a controlled environment and under such minimal conditions, it appears to be a reliable and promising model that will provide basic data and allow the study of hormones and growth factors involved in prostatic tissue growth. It might eventually permit the identification of a cell marker.