Growth responses of prostatic epithelial cells from male mice neonatally exposed to diethylstilbestrol in serum-free collagen gel culture.

Growth of anterior and ventral prostatic epithelial cells from mice neonatally exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES) and from unexposed control mice was compared at different time points in serum-free collagen gel culture. A longer maintenance of the initial plating density (lag in growth) was observed in cultured DES-exposed ventral prostatic cells. Neonatal DES exposure resulted in two colony types: one similar to colonies arising from unexposed cells and one which appears to be non-growing. Keratinization was observed in some DES-exposed anterior prostatic cell colonies. Removal of epidermal growth factor from the serum-free medium significantly decreased growth in 3 of the 4 groups compared with their growth in the complete serum-free medium.