Comparative study of the cytoplasmic organelles of epithelial cell lines derived from human carcinomas and nonmalignant tissues

Abstract

The cytoplasmic organelles of 16 human epithelial cell lines have been characterized by electron microscopy. The cell lines were derived from normal, nonmalignant tissues of cancerous organs and from primary and metastatic carcinomas. Every cell section on a grid which contained a clearly defined nucleus, nucleolus, and cytoplasm was scored blindly utilizing a checklist of markers. Mitochondrial pleomorphism was expressed slightly by normal, to variable degrees by lines derived from nonmalignant tissues of cancerous organs, and to a much greater extent by all lines derived from malignant tissues. Hypertrophied mitochondria and longitudinal cristal arrangement were found in almost all the malignant lines, but not in any lines derived from nonmalignant tissues of cancerous organs or from normal tissues. Although malignant and nonmalignant cell lines could not be distinguished using microfilament bundles (stress fibers) and microtubules as markers, this may reflect the effect of insufficient cell spread or the preparative procedures used. All the lines appeared differentiated and showed slightly to moderately developed Golgi and smooth and rough endoplasmic reticula. There were no significant ultrastructural differences in cells at different passage levels or subconfluent and confluent tumor cells; however, more tight junctions were observed in confluent than in subconfluent normal cells.