Cell proliferation studies in rat prostate. I. The proliferative role of basal and secretory epithelial cells during normal growth.

In the prostates of rats ranging from 10 days to 8 months of age, the proliferative activity of basal and secretory epithelial cells was studied. No clear evidence was found that basal cells alone represented the proliferative compartment, or that they were responsible for the replacement of secretory cells during normal turnover. Cell kinetic and morphological evidence indicated that basal and secretory cells were self-replicating cell types with discrete functions.