title: Distinct morphological and immunohistochemical features and different growth rates among four human neuroblastomas heterotransplanted into nude mice.
abstract: To elucidate more precisely the biological characteristics of neuroblastomas, we examined four human neuroblastomas heterotransplanted into athymic nude mice NB-39 (undifferentiated type), NB-45 (poorly differentiated type with undifferentiated component), NB-52 (poorly differentiated type), and NB-726 (differentiating type) by electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and radioimmunoassay for the peptides in tumors. Ultrastructurally, NB-45, NB-52, and NB-726 contained more numerous and variously sized neurosecretory granules than did NB-39. Immunohistochemistry revealed neurofilament proteins, tyrosine hydroxylase, neuropeptide Y (NPY), and chromogranin A-positive cells in the four tumors in the following order of frequency: NB-726, NB-45, NB-52, and NB-39. NB-726, NB-45, and NB-52, but not NB-39, contained galanin-positive tumor cells. NB-45 and NB-726 harbored a few positive cells for calcitonin gene-related peptide. Furthermore, NB-726 exhibited positivity to leu-enkephalin, met-enkephalin, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and serotonin. Radioimmunoassay substantiated the results of immunohistochemistry, showing NPY in all tumors and either galanin or VIP in three tumors, excepting NB-39. Average doubling time of the tumor was as follows: 2 days in NB-39, 10 days in NB-45, 22 days in NB-52, and 45 days in NB-726. These results indicate that human neuroblastoma cells have different biological characteristics and reduced growth rate with differentiation in terms of ultrastructure and of peptide production abilities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikariga-oka, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hoshi
authors.forename: Jiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hitomi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kusakabe
authors.forename: Takeaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirota
authors.forename: Toshimitsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine / Q000378:metabolism; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D019004:Galanin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000378:metabolism; D022142:Secretory Vesicles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D012701:Serotonin; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine; D019004:Galanin; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide