Objective: To investigate the primary culture technique in vitro, and to evaluate the influence of the prostate donor age and the collagen coating on the primary prostatic cell culture.
Methods: Three different methods (enzymic digestive method, tissue culture and enzymic digestive method combined with tissue culture) were investigated in the primary prostatic cell culture, the stromal cell were identified by immunocytochemistry.
Results: Compared with the methods of digestion (either with or without tissue culture), tissue culture possessed better cellular adherence and proliferative ability. Thin coating of collagen on culture flask could improve the adherence of cell and promote cell proliferation. Prostate stromal cells from donors aged > or = 60 years old grew slower than those from donors aged < 60 years old.
Conclusion: Tissue culture is a simple, convenience method for the primary benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH) stromal cell culture. Thin coating of collagen in culture flask could improve the primary culture, and prostate stromal cells from donors aged < 60 years old are more suitable for stromal cell culture.