title: Characterisation of a human glioblastoma cell line (LI) expressing hypothalamic and pituitary hormones.
abstract: The human glioblastoma cell line LI showed morphological features typical of its neuroectodermal origin. Cells were positive by immunofluorescence to GFAP, MHC class II, and L1 determinants. Cytogenetic analysis showed the presence of a modal chromosome number of 63, ranging from 58 to 69 chromosomes (DNA index was 1.6). Northern blot analysis demonstrated the presence of mRNA transcripts specific for transglutaminase C (type II or "tissue"), growth-hormone releasing-hormone (GHRH), insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II), and proopiomelanocortin (POMC). The GHRH mRNA was present in two different sizes, one similar to the normal hypothalamic species of 0.75 kb, whilst the second species was a large transcript of approximately 10 kb size. Treatment with 5 microM retinoic acid or 5 mM alpha-difluoromethylornithine for 5 days sharply reduced the growth rate and also induced modulation of the ultrastructure and antigenic profile. This cell line may be useful to study glial differentiation and the relationship of GHRH, IGF-II and POMC expression with differentiation in neuroectodermal tumours.
authors.affiliation: Universita Rome Tor Vergata, Dip. Medicina Sperimentale, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Savarese
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Annicchiarico-Petruzzelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Citro
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zupi
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Spagnoli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colantoni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vernole
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stephanou
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guerrieri
mesh_terms: D015152:Blotting, Northern; D003582:Cytogenetics; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D005910:Glioma / Q000378:metabolism*; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006728:Hormones / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D009423:Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D006728:Hormones; D010907:Pituitary Hormones; D014212:Tretinoin; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone