STUDIES ON DIFFERENTIATION OF ECa 109 ESOPHAGEAL EPITHELIAL CARCINOMA CELLS INDUCED BY DIMETHYL SULFOXIDE (DMSO) / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

A comparision of the ECa 109 esophageal epithelial carcinoma cells and normal esophageal epithelial cells was made. Electron microscopically these two cells revealed remarkable differences. The normal esophageal epithelial cells had narrow intercellular space, fewer microvilli, more desmosomes and tonofilaments, with small and round nucleus. No polyribosome could be seen. The ECa 109 cells had wider intercellular space, more microvilli, fewer desmosomes and tonofilaments, larger and irregular nucleus, large and distinct nucleolus. Besides, the appearance of polyribosome was characteristic of cancer cells. Thus, the following characteristics were used as makers of cell differentiation: 1. less microvilli; 2. abundant tonofilaments; 3. more desmosomes; 4. monoribosomes; 5. round nucleus; 6. small nucleus/cytoplasma ratio.Upon addition of 2％ DMSO ECa 109 under went striking morphological changes resembling the terminal differentiation stage of normal esophageal epithelial cells.Inaddition, after DMSO treatment, circular Golgi complexes surrounded by small vesicles could be seen. Small vesicles and primary and secondary lysosomesappeared too. Electron-dense particles with halo were easily seen in the nuclei.