title: Ultrastructure of four human germ cell tumor-derived cell lines: effect of 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate.
abstract: Cells derived from human germ cell tumors (HGCT) are potential models for the study of human embryonic differentiation. Differentiation in four HGCT-derived lines (1618K, 833KE, 1777Ndif, 2806B) was examined by light and electron microscopy, after exposure of cells to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA). In line 1618K, the effect of retinoic acid was also examined. After exposure to TPA, the cells of line 1618K had a loss of microvilli, an increased amount of nuclear heterochromatin, and an increase in the number of cytoplasmic vacuoles. The cells of line 833KE exposed to TPA showed only an increase in cytoplasmic vacuoles. No changes were observed in any cell line after exposure to DMSO. Similarly no changes were observed in 1618K after exposure to retinoic acid. These findings indicate that DMSO and retinoic acid are not effective inducers of differentiation in these HGCT-derived cell lines. The phorbol ester, TPA, appears to induce differentiation of some HGCT-derived cell lines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hiraoka
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Vogelzang
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rosner
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Golomb
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate