Cell separation and characterization of epithelial cells from human benign prostatic hyperplasia

Epithelial cells were isolated from human prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) after mechanical disruption of the tissue. The tissue was cut into small pieces, then mechanical pressure was applied. Stroma and epithelium were separated by a sequence of sedimentation steps. The recovery rate of epithelial cells was around 20 million cells per gram of tissue and more than 95% of the cells did exclude trypan blue. Epithelial cells can be identified by phase contrast microscopy and by the acid phosphatase content of the cells. In more than 95% of the cells the presence of acid phosphatase could be shown cytochemically with phosphorylcholine as a substrate. This finding indicates that the contamination with other cell types is very small. Histological study of the remaining stroma indicates that most of the epithelial cells are removed. Also, the acid phosphatase content of this fraction was found to be very low. The problem of obtaining large quantities of stromal cells in suspension has not yet been resolved. However, the technique described may be more suitable than others for the separate study of stroma and epithelium from BPH.