VIDEOIMAGING OF PROSTATIC STROMAL-CELL CONTRACTION - AN IN-VITRO MODEL FOR STUDYING DRUG EFFECTS

BACKGROUND. Stromal-cell contractility is known to play an important r ole in the development of bladder outlet obstruction secondary to beni gn prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). An in vitro model of single-cell contr action was developed to investigate the effect of alpha(1)-adrenocepto r agonists and antagonists. METHODS. Human prostatic stromal cells wer e isolated from prostatectomy and cystoprostatectomy specimens. The ce lls were cultured in a selective medium supplemented with growth facto rs and steroid hormones. The culture flasks were coated with a viscous agent to allow cell contraction. Contractions were visualized by mean s of a cell-culture microscope fitted with a time-lapse video system. For quantitative analysis, the percentage of contracting cells was eva luated. RESULTS. Nineteen percent of the cells were found to contract without stimulation. Following incubation with doxazosin (10 nM, 100 n M, and 1 mM), there was a slight dose-dependent decrease in the number of spontaneously contracting cells, whereas adrenergic stimulation us ing 10 mu M of phenylephrine led to a significant increase in the perc entage of contracting cells (55%). Following incubation with 100 nM of doxazosin, the phenylephrine-induced effect was significantly reduced . CONCLUSIONS. This simple in vitro model of cell contraction in the p rostate provides a useful means of investigating drug effects on prost atic stromal cells. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.