Spontaneous poorly differentiated carcinoma with cells positive for vimentin in a salivary gland of a young rat.
Spontaneous salivary gland tumors in rats are rare. The authors report a poorly differentiated carcinoma of a submandibular gland in a ten-week-old rat that was positive for vimentin. Microscopically, the neoplastic cells showed a diffuse growth pattern in most areas of the tumor mass and a nestlike structure in a part of the peripheral area. Immunohistochemically, the cells were positive for keratin and vimentin but not for alpha-smooth muscle actin. Ultrastructurally, desmosome-like structures were observed. Based on these findings, the tumor was diagnosed as a poorly differentiated carcinoma. The origin of the neoplastic cells would be either acinar or ductal cells. This suggests that acinar or ductal cells have the potential to transform into vimentin-expressing cells.
Nishikawa
Satomi
S
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation-Safety Research Laboratory, Kisarazu, Japan. nishikawa.satomi@mk.mt-pharma.co.jp
Sano
Fumiko
F
Takagi
Kan
K
Okada
Miyoko
M
Sugimoto
Jiro
J
Takagi
Shiro
S
D000818:Animals; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D013365:Submandibular Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism*
D014746:Vimentin; D007633:Keratins