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Mallory body‐like abnormalities in carcinomas induced by cultured transformed rat liver cells
Author(s) -
Borenfreund Ellen,
DeHarven Etienne,
Garra Lorraine
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.1840010507
Subject(s) - pathology , vimentin , staining , biology , intermediate filament , keratin , cytoskeleton , h&e stain , cell culture , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , cell , immunohistochemistry , medicine , biochemistry , genetics
Hepatoma cells isolated from rats after administration of a carcinogen, diethylnitrosamine, and propagated in culture, contained a genetically stable cytoskeletal abnormality resembling Mallory bodies. These juxtanuclear aggregates of intermediate‐sized filaments were maintained in carcinomas produced in nude mice after inoculation of uncloned mass cultures and a cloned subculture. Paraffin and frozen sections of these tumors revealed acentric nuclei and a glassy hyalin‐type cytoplasmic lesion which stained pink with hematoxylin‐eosin and blue with Mallory's aniline blue stain. The cells in culture and in the tumor sections were strongly positive for γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase. Cryostat sections examined by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy with antisera to purified bovine hoof prekeratin, desmosome‐associated tonofilaments from bovine muzzle, and murine vimentin, as well as transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of juxtanuclear aggregates of intermediate‐sized filaments. All characteristics previously reported for the tissue culture cell line were stably maintained in the tumor tissue. These results suggest that the Mallory body‐containing cells frequently observed in man in alcoholic hepatitis and other degenerative liver diseases could, under appropriate environmental “promoting” conditions, be precursor cells in focal hepatocellular carcinoma formation.