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Differentiation of rhabdomyosarcoma and neonatal muscle cells in vitro
Author(s) -
Corbell Lynette B.
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(1967)20:4<572::aid-cncr2820200416>3.0.co;2-v
Subject(s) - myogenesis , rhabdomyosarcoma , electron microscope , myocyte , nucleolus , pathology , cytoplasm , in vitro , anatomy , population , cell culture , cell type , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , cell , medicine , sarcoma , genetics , optics , physics , environmental health
Differentiating cells in monolayer cultures of neonatal rat muscle and nickelsulfide‐induced rhabdomyosarcoma tissues were studied at the light and electron‐microscopic levels. The strap cells in cultures of both tissues exhibited such common features as tube‐like shape, centrally aligned uniform nuclei, large nucleoli and longitudinal cytoplasmic striations. Neonatal muscle cultures, however started to differentiate much earlier than tumor cultures and frequently showed cross‐ striations and spontaneous contractions whereas tumor cultures were characterized by a heterogeneous cell population with limited abilities to differentiate. Electron microscope examinations of strap cells from both types of cultures revealed abundant free ribosomes and parallel alignment of cytoplasmic filaments with Z bodies. These observations suggest that the initial stages of myogenesis are identical in some cells from both tumors and neonatal muscles. The main differences between the 2 types of strap cells are concerned with the rate and extent of differentiation. The significance of the observations with regard to the origin of the tumor strap cells is discussed.