Experimental ependymomas: in vivo and in vitro morphology

Chemical carcinogenesis in the nervous system: past and future

The model of experimental tumors of the nervous system has greatly contributed to our understanding of growth and management of intracranial tumors, but has been somewhat neglected in the last years, because a wealth of new data concerning oncogenic action came from viral oncogenesis. These new issues led to a much better insight into human tumor induction and promotion. Yet one example of the impact of oncogenic transformation stems from the "neurooncogenic" model: the discovery of the neu oncogene and its product as a putative differentiation receptor in the cell membrane of experimental Schwann cell derived tumors. In the light of this unique finding the history of the "neurooncogenic" model and the morphological and "clinical" result of tumors produced within the model are reviewed. There is a large open field for future investigation both in basic and applied science.

Chemotherapy in intracerebrally transplanted tumors induced with transplacental administration of ethylnitrosourea in rats

Four tumors of the spinal cord were induced with ethylnitrosourea in rats by transplacental administration and transplanted into the brains of animals of the same strain. One of these intracerebrally grafted tumor lines (G-XIII) was followed up over the first 10 passages and treated with CCNU and other alkylating drugs. The results were compared with findings in an earlier established line (G-XII) in passage 12 and 59, which in the first instance was sensitive to CCNU. The CCNU application prolonged survival in treated animals in various treatment schedules in the first 10 intracerebrally grafted generations of the tumor up to 59%. Induction times of tumors became increasingly shorter. The susceptibility of early passages was similar in both lines. Its loss in late passages went together with diffuse growth of the tumor and reticulin fiber production. In addition, glial fibrillary acid protein expression and formation of intermediate filaments in perivascular tumor cells was lost.

Scanning electron microscopy of in vitro grown cells from experimentally induced neurogenic tumors

Serially transplanted neurogenic tumors of experimental origin were explanted in vitro and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. In explants of intracerebrally transplanted gliomas, small stellate cells with branching processes were observed; in transplanted tumors of the peripheral nervous system, slender bipolar cells as well as fibroblasts emerged. The stereoscopic features were compared with the picture of conventional light microscopy. The findings are consistent with the assumption of the glial derivation of CNS-tumors induced with neurotropic alkylating carcinogens. The peripheral tumors are composed of Schwann-cell like elements and fibroblasts. The significance of the results for the cytogenetic derivation of brain tumors are discussed.

Gross vascularization of experimentally induced transplanted tumors of the central and peripheral nervous system

Subcutaneously and intracerebrally transplanted neurinomas as well as intracerebrally grafted gliomas, both derived from primary tumors with resorptive carcinogens were investigated after injection of micropaque by conventional histologic methods and by postmortem X-ray analysis. Growth pattern and vasculature were similar in subcutaneously and intracerebrally transplanted malignant neurinomas. The most common feature was a parallel arrangement of vessels as shown by microradiography and vessel free zones. In intracerebrally grafted glioma, the growth of tumors was confined to or starting from the ventricular system. Sinusoidal vessels, capillary proliferations and proliferation of vessel wall were found. The outstanding feature was the occurrence of extravascular contrast deposits, thus indicating the vulnerability of tumor vessels and frequency of hemorrhages into these tumors.

In vitro growth of neoplastic rat glial cells

An ependymoma was induced in the brain of a BD-IX rat by repeated doses of MNU. In vitro grown cells of the tumor were fibroblasts and stellate cells considered to be glial. Reimplantation of these cells into the brain of another BD-IX rat resulted a tumor growing in the meninges. This tumor was then repeatedly transplanted over several passages. Its gross morphology resembled that of a sarcoma; however, glial in cells could be demonstrated with silver methods. A cell line derived from the first transplanted tumor group proved to contain S-100 protein in traces in the first passages in vitro. Explanted cells of the primary ependymoma were cloned. Two clones were established, RGL 1 and RGL 2. The cells of both clones resembled morphologically the stellate elements of the primary explant. RGL 1 contained S-100 protein. It was cloned again in the 16th subpassage. Four clones were established. Only 1 contained S-100 protein in traces. The clone RGL 1 had a subdiploid karyotype with a modal number of 39 and a large submetacentric marker. It was subcloned in the 25th passage with two clones, both having a karyotype of 41 chromosomes.