Hormone response of benign hyperplastic prostate tissue in organ culture

Glandular benign prostatic hyperplasia specimens from 10 patients were culutured for 4 days in media containing either insulin alone, insulin plus estradiol, insulin plus testosterone, insulin plus human placental lactogen, insulin plus human placental lactogen plus testosterone, or insulin plus human growth hormone plus testosterone. Growth of the specimens was defined by pulsing 3H-thymidine on day 3, terminating on day 4, and determination of acid-insoluble radioactivity by scintillation counting. The response of each specimen was related to its base line response to insulin media. Six of nine specimens were stimulated 80 per cent or more by insulin plus placental lactogen plus testosterone, but only one of seven was stimulated by insulin plus testosterone. Four of 10 were stimulated by insulin plus estradiol. Histologic and autoradiographic results indicated that all growth occurred in the epithelium.