Growth responses of normal, benign hyperplastic, and malignant human prostatic epithelial cells in vitro to cholera toxin, pituitary extract, and hydrocortisone.

Normal, benign hyperplastic (BPH), and malignant prostatic epithelial cells from adult humans can be serially passaged in medium PFMR-4 supplemented with 20% whole serum, cholera toxin, and epidermal growth factor (EGF). Improved growth of these cells has been achieved by optimizing the concentrations of the components of the basal medium. In the new modified medium, PFMR-4A, the only supplements required are 5% dialyzed serum, cholera toxin, EGF, pituitary extract, and hydrocortisone. Comparative studies of the growth responses of prostatic cells derived from normal central zone, normal peripheral zone, BPH nodules, and adenocarcinomas did not reveal any qualitative differences; all respond positively to the addition of cholera toxin, pituitary extract, and hydrocortisone to the culture medium. Cells of one cancer strain, however, were much less density-dependent for growth than were the other strains of normal, BPH, or malignant cells.