Summary
A cerebellar medulloblastoma from a 2-year-old boy was maintained in vitro in an organ culture system for 6.5 months, and the explants studied by light and electron microscopy at different time intervals. The tumor cells progressively demonstrated divergent differentiation into astrocytes and neuroblasts. Astrocytic differentiation, confirmed by immunohistochemistry for GFA protein, became maximal after about 7 weeks in vitro and was thereafter maintained in different areas of the explants. Concomitantly, neuroblastic differentiation was expressed in other cells, with the progressive development of cell processes filled with many microtubules, of neuroblastic rosettes, of increased numbers of densecore and clear-centered vesicles, of occasional 9+0 cilia, and of synaptic ribbons appearing in vitro. Neuroblastic differentiation was most pronounced in 4- and 6-month-old explants, but synapses were not found. The differentiating features reported are in contrast to those of the orignial tumor, which was largely undifferentiated. The alternative interpretation of a divergent glial and pineocytic differentiation is also considered. These findings support the concept of the differentiating bipotential of the cerebellar medulloblastoma.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Azzarelli B, Muller J, Mirkin LD (1983) Medulloblastoma (?) with epithelioid features. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 61:109–115
Barnard RO, Pambakian H (1980) Astrocytic differentiation in medulloblastoma. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 43:1041–1044
Bignami A, Eng LF, Dahl D, Uyeda CT (1972) Localization of the glial fibrillary acidic protein in astrocytes by immunofluorescence. Brain Res 43:429–435
Bissell MG, Eng LF, Herman MM, Bensch KG, Miles LEM (1975) Quantiative increase of neuroglia-specific GFA protein in rat C-6 glioma cells in vitro. Nature 225:633–634
Bornstein MB (1958) Reconstituted rat-tail collagen used as substrate for tissue cultures on coverslips in Maximow slides and roller tubes. Lab Invest 7:134–137
Buda M, Klein DC (1978) A suspension culture of pinealocytes: regulation of N-acetyltransferase activity. Endocrinology 103:1483–1493
Camins MB, Cravioto HM, Epstein F, Ransohoff J (1980) Medulloblastoma: an ultrastructural study-evidence for astrocytic and neuronal differentiation. Neurosurgery 6:398–411
Coffin CM, Mukai K, Dehner LP (1983) Glial differentiation in medulloblastoms. Histogenetic insight, glial reaction, or invasion of brain? Am J Surg Pathol 7:555–565
Das GD (1976) Differentiation of Bergmann glial cells in the cerebellum: a Golgi study. Brain Res 110:199–213
Das GD, Lammert GL, McAllister JR (1974) Contact guidance and migrating cells in the developing cerebellum. Brain Res 69:13–29
Deck JHN, Eng LF, Bigbee J, Woodcock SM (1978) The role of glial fibrillary acidic protein in the diagnosis of central nervous system tumors. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 42:183–190
DeGirolami U, Zvaigzne O (1973) Modification of the Achúcarro-Hortega pineal stain for paraffin-embedded formalin-fixed tissue. Stain Technol 48:48–50
Dickson DH, Ramsey MS, Tonus JG (1976) Synapse formation in retinoblastoma tumours. Br J Ophthalmol 60:371–375
Dowling JE, Boycott BB (1966) Organization of the primate retina: electron microscopy. Proc R Soc Lond [Biol] 166:80–111
Eng LF, Rubinstein LJ (1978) Contribution of immunohistochemistry to diagnostic problems of human cerebral tumors. J Histochem Cytochem 26:413–522
Ermel AE, Brucher JM (1974) Arguments ultrastructuraux en faveur de l'apparatenance du médulloblastome à la lignée neuronale. Acta Neurol Belg 74:208–220
Fujita S (1967) Quantitative analysis of cell proliferation and differentiation in the cortex of the postnatal mouse cerebellum. J Cell Biol 32:277–287
Fujita S, Shimada M, Nakamura T (1966) H3-thymidine autoradiographic studies on the cell proliferation and differentiation in the external and internal granular layers of the mouse cerebellum. J Comp Neurol 121:191–208
Hassoun J, Gambarelli D, Peragut JC, Toga M (1983) Specific ultrastructural markers of human pinealomas. A study of four cases. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 62:31–40
Herman MM, Rubinstein LJ (1978) Divergent glial and neuronal differentiation in a human medulloblastoma maintained in an organ culture system. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 37:627
Herrick M, Rubinstein LJ (1979) The cytological differentiating potential of pineal parenchymal neoplasms (true pinealomas). A clinical study of 28 tumours. Brain 102:289–320
Hewing M (1979) Synaptic ribbons during postnatal development of the pineal gland in the golden hamster. Cell Tissue Res 199:473–482
Hirano A, Shin W-Y (1979) Unattached presynaptic terminals in a cerebellar neuroblastoma in the human. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 5:63–70
Horten BC, Rubinstein LJ (1976) Primary cerebral neuroblastoma. A clinicopathological study of 35 cases. Brain 99:735–756
Karasek M (1974) Ultrastructure of rat pineal gland in organ culture; influence of norepinephrine, dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate and adenohypophysis. Endokrinologie 64:106–114
Karasek M (1976) Quantiative changes in number of “synaptic” ribbons in rat pinealocytes after orchidectomy and in organ culture. J Neural Transm 38:149–157
Karasek M, King TS, Brokaw J, Hansen JT, Petterborg LJ, Reiter RJ (1983) Inverse correlation between “synaptic” ribbon number and the density of adrenergic nerve endings in the pineal gland of various mammals. Anat Rec 205:93–99
Karasek M, Vollrath L (1982) “Synaptic” ribbons and spherules of the rat pineal gland: day/night changes in vitro? Exp Brain Res 46:205–208
Kidd M (1962) Electron microscopy of the inner plexiform layer of the retina in the cat and the pigeon. J Anat 96:179–187
Kersting G (1968) Tissue culture of human gliomas. In: Krayenbühl H, Maspes PE, Sweet WH (eds) Progr Neurol Surg, vol 2. Yearbook Medical Publishers, Chicago, pp 165–202
King TS, Dougherty WJ (1982) Effect of denervation on “synaptic” ribbon populations in the rat pineal gland. J Neurocytol 11:19–28
Lewis PD, Fülöp Z, Hajós F, Balázs R, Woodhams PL (1977) Neuroglia in the internal granular layer of the developing rat cerebellar cortex. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 3:183–190
Liao CL, Eng LF, Herman MM, Bensch KG (1978) Glial fibrillary acidic protein — solubility characteristics, relation to cell growth phases and cellular localization in rat C-6 glioma cells: an immunoradiometric and immunohistologic study. J Neurochem 30:1181–1186
Liss L (1969) Glial and parenchymal neoplasms in tissue culture. In: Scharenberg K, Liss L (eds) Neuroectodermal tumors of the central and peripheral nervous system, Chapt. 21. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore
Lumsden CE (1971) The study by tissue culture of tumours of the nervous system. In: Russell DS, Rubinstein LJ (eds) Pathology of tumors of the nervous system, 3rd edn, Chapt. 14. Edward Arnold, London
Lumsden CE (1974) Tissue culture of brain tumours. In: Vinken PJ, Bruyn GW (eds) Handbook of clinical neurology, Vol 17, Chapt. 2. North-Holland Publishing Co, Amsterdam
Mannoji H, Takeshita I, Fukui M, Ohta M, Kitamura K (1981) Glial fibrillary acidic protein in medulloblastoma. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 55:63–69
Markesbery WR, Walsh JW, Frye MD (1980) Ultrastructural study of the medulloblastoma in tissue culture. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 39:30–41
Matakas F, Cervós-Navarro J, Gullotta F (1970) The ultrastructure of medulloblastomas. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 16:271–284
Matsushima S, Morisawa Y, Aida I, Kazuhiro A (1983) Circadian variations in pinealocytes of the Chinese hamster, Cricetulus griseus. A quantitative electron-microscopic study. Cell Tissue Res 228:231–244
Moss TH (1983) Evidence for differentiation in medulloblastomas appearing primitive on light microscopy: an ultrastructural study. Histopathology 7:919–930
Müller W, Schaefer HE (1974) Beitrag zur morphologischen Onkotype des Medulloblastoms. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 30:51–61
Palay SL, Chan-Palay V (1974) Cerebellar cortex. Cytology and organization. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, New York
Palmer JO, Kasselberg AG, Netsky MG (1981) Differentiation of medulloblastoma. Studies including immunohistochemical localization of glial fibrillary acidic protein. J Neurosurg 55:161–169
Pasquier B, Lachard A, Pasquier D, Couderc P, Delpech B, Courel MN (1983) Protéine gliofibrillaire acide (GFA) et tumeurs nerveuses centrales. Etude immunohistochimique d'une série de 207 cas. IIe partie: Médulloblastomes. Hémangioblastomes. Autres tumeurs. Discussion. Ann Pathol 3:203–211
Pearl GS, Takei Y (1981) Cerebellar “neuroblastoma”. Nosology as it relates to medulloblastoma. Cancer 47:772–779
Pévet P (1979) Secretory processes in the mammalian pinealocyte under natural and experimental conditions. Progr Brain Res 52:149–192
Piekut DT, Knigge KM (1978) Primary cultures of dispersed cells of rat pineal gland. Cell Tissue Res 188:285–297
Roessmann U, Velasco ME, Gambetti P, Autilio-Gambetti L (1983) Neuronal and astrocytic differentiation in human neuroepithelial neoplasms. An immunohistochemical study. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 42:113–121
Romijn HJ (1975) The ultrastructure of the rabbit pineal gland after sympathectomy, parasympathectomy, continuous illumination, and continous darkness. J Neural Transm 36:183–194
Romijn HJ, Gelsema AJ (1976) Electron microscopy of the rabbit pineal organ in vitro. Evidence of norepinephrine-stimulated secretory activity of the Golgi apparatus. Cell Tissue Res 172:365–377
Rowe V, Neale EA, Avins L, Guroff G, Schrier BK (1977) Pineal gland cells in culture. Morphology, biochemistry, differentiation, and co-culture with sympathetic neurons. Exp Cell Res 104:345–356
Rowe V, Steinberg V, Parr J (1981) Pineal cells in monolayer culture. Adv Cell Neurobiol 2:491–510
Rubinstein LJ (1975) The cerebellar medulloblastoma: its origin, differentiation, morphological variants, and biological behavior. In: Vinken PJ, Bruyn GW (eds) Handbook of clinical neurology, vol. 18, Chapt. 9. North-Holland Publishing Co, Amsterdam
Rubinstein LJ, Herman MM, Foley VL (1973) In vitro characteristics of human glioblastomas maintained in organ culture systems. Light microscopy observations. Am J Pathol 71:61–80
Rubinstein LJ, Herman MM, Hanbery JW (1974) The relationship between differentiating medulloblastoma and dedifferentiating diffuse cerebellar astrocytoma. Light, electron microscopic, tissue, and organ culture observations. Cancer 33:675–690
Schindler E, Gullotta F (1983) Glial fibrillary acidic protein in medulloblastomas and other embryonic CNS tumours of children. Virchows Arch [Pathol Anat] 398:263–275
Shin W-Y, Laufer H, Lee Y-C, Aftalion B, Hirano A, Zimmerman HM (1978) Fine structure of a cerebellar neuroblastoma. Acta Neuropathol (Berlin) 42:11–13
Sipe JC, Rubinstein LJ, Herman MM, Bignami A (1974) Ethylnitrosourea-induced astrocytomas. Morphologic observations on rat tumors maintained in tissue and organ culture systems. Lab Invest 31:571–579
Sjöstrand FS (1958) Ultrastructure of retinal rod synapses of the guinea pig eye as revealed by three-dimensional reconstructions from serial sections. J Ultrastruct Res 2:122–170
Smith CA, Sjöstrand FS (1961) A synaptic structure in the hair cells of the guinea pig cochlea. J Ultrastruct Res 5:184–192
Steinberg V, Rowe V, Watanabe I, Parr J (1981) Effects of norepinephrine and dibutyryl adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate on the ultrastructure of pineal cells in monolayer culture. Cell Tissue Res 216:181–191
Steinberg VI, Rowe V, Watanabe I, Parr J, Degenhardt M (1981) Morphologic development of neonatal rat pinealocytes in monolayer culture. Cell Tissue Res 220:337–347
Swarz JR, Del Cerro M (1977) Lack of evidence for glial cells originating from the external granular layer in mouse cerebellum. J Neurocytol 6:241–250
Vanden Berg SR, Ludwin SK, Herman MM, Bignami A (1976) In vitro astrocytic differentiation from embryoid bodies of an experimental mouse testicular teratoma. Am J Pathol 83:197–212
Varakis JN, ZuRhein GM (1976) Experimental pineocytoma of the Syrian hamster induced by a human papovavirus (JC). A light and electron microscopic study. Acta Neuropathol (Berl). 35:243–264
Velasco ME, Dahl D, Roessmann U, Gambetti P (1980) Immunohistochemical localization of glial fibrillary acidic protein in human glial neoplasms. Cancer 45:484–494
Voigt WH (1968) Elektronenmikroskopische Beobachtungen an menschlichen Medulloblastomen. Dtsch Z Nervenheilkd 192:290–309
Vollrath L (1973) Synaptic ribbons of a mammalian pineal gland circadian changes. Z Zellforsch 145:171–183
Vollrath L, Huss H (1973) The synaptic ribbons of the guinea-pig pineal gland under normal and experimental conditions. Z Zellforsch 139:417–429
Vollrath L, Schultz RL, McMillan PJ (1983) “Synaptic” ribbons and spherules of the guinea pig pineal gland: inverse day/night differences in number. Am J Anat 168:67–74
Vraa-Jensen J, Herman MM, Rubinstein LJ, Bignami A (1976) In vitro characteristics of a fourth ventricle ependymoma maintained in organ culture systems: light and electron microscopy observations. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2:349–364
Waldbaur H, Gottschaldt M, Schmidt H, Neuhäuser G (1976) Medulloblastom des Kleinhirns und Pineoblastom bei eineiigen Zwillingen. Klin Paediatr 188:366–371
Weichselbaum RR, Liszczak TM, Phillips JP, Little JB, Epstein J, Kornblith PL (1977) Characterization and radiobiologic parameters of medulloblastoma in vitro. Cancer 40:1087–1096
Wolfe DE (1965) The epiphyseal cell: an electron-microscopic study of its intercellular relationships and intracellular morphology in the pineal body of the albino rat. Progr Brain Res 10:332–386
Yagishita S, Itoh Y, Chiba Y, Yamashita T, Nakazima F, Kuwabara T (1980) Cerebellar neuroblastoma. A light and ultrastructural study. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 50:139–142
Yagishita S, Itho Y, Chiba Y, Kuwana N (1982) Morphological investigations on cerebellar “neuroblastoma” group. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 56:22–28
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by research grant CA 31271 from the National Cancer Institute, US Department of Health and Human Services. Presented in part at the VIIIth International Congress of Neuropathology, Washington, DC, September 24–29, 1978
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Herman, M.M., Rubinstein, L.J. Divergent glial and neuronal differentiation in a cerebellar medulloblastoma in an organ culture system: In vitro occurrence of synaptic ribbons. Acta Neuropathol 65, 10–24 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00689823
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00689823