Objective To provide an ideal seed cell for tissue engineered urinary bladder and urethra by serially culturing canine smooth muscle cells from urinary bladder in vitro and compare biological characteristics of different passagesof cells. Methods Bladder smooth muscle cells of 12-month-old male dogs weighing 10-12 kg were isolated from adult dogs’ urinary bladders by collagenase and trypsin digestion and serially cultured in DMEM medium supplemented with 10% serum of newborn bovines. Morphology and prol iferation of the cells were observed and the serially-cultured cells were identified with the transmission electron microscope and immunohistochemistry. Results The cells appeared spindle in parallel rows when they grew to the degree of subconfluence, and showed the “peak-valley” structure under the inverted phase contrast microscope. The cells could be prol iferated serially to the 12th passage in vitro. The growth curve showed the cells before the 7th passage had the similar prol iferation characteristics and the growth cycle was about 40 hours. The TEM showed myofilament and the dense body in cytoplasm of smooth muscle cells. Smooth muscle actin was positive by immunohistochemical staining. After the 7th passage, the cells’ growth became slow, and myofilament and the dense body in cytoplasm vanished. Conclusion The canine smooth muscle cells from urinary bladder can be serially cultured in vitro and highly purified and largely prol iferated by the appropriate method. The cells before the 7th passage can be used as optimal seed cells for tissue engineered urinary bladder and urethra.