Summary
Tubular inclusions were present in 13 out of 43 pituitary adenomas of acromegalic patients and in a single chromophobe pituitary adenoma. There were none in 76 other pituitary adenomas with differing endocrinological symptomatology. The arrays were usually located in the perinuclear cistern of capillary endothelial cells. The tubule diameter in osmium fixed material measured 19–26 nm and the light core averaged 6-11 nm. A longitudinal period of about 4.5 nm could be demonstrated with PTA block staining. Fixation with glutaraldehyde and block staining with ethidium bromide as well as permanganate fixation followed by RNAse treatment showed only the core of the tubules consisting of globular subunits. Several histochemical reactions (perchloric acid extraction, methenaminesilver staining, trypsin and DNAse digestion of frozen sections) suggested that the particles consist of a core of DNA coated with protein. No virus multiplication could be detected in cell cultures or in mice inoculated with fresh tumor material. No significant antibody titers against several virus antigens could be demonstrated.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baringer, J. R.: Tubular aggregates in endoplasmic reticulum in herpes simplex encephalitis. New Engl. J. Med. 285, 943–945 (1971)
Baringer, J. R., Swoveland, P.: Tubular aggregates in endoplasmic reticulum: evidence against their viral nature. J. Ultrastruct. Res. 41, 270–276 (1972)
Bell, E.: I-DNA: Its packaging into I-somes and its relation to protein synthesis during differentiation. Nature (Lond.) 224, 326–328 (1969)
Chandra, S.: Undulating tubules associated with endoplasmic reticulum in pathologic tissues. Lab. Invest. 18, 422–428 (1968)
Cooper, J. R.: Tumor tissue growth—The growth of tumor tissues from the central nervous system in tissue culture. J. Kans. med. Soc. 68, 340–343 (1967)
Curé, M., Trouillas, J., Lhéritier, M., Girod, G., Rollet, J.: Inclusions tabulaires dans une tumeur hypophysaire. Nouv. Presse Med. 1, 2309–2311 (1972)
Douglas, W. H.: Perchloric acid extraction of deoxyribonucleic acid from thin sections of epon-araldite-embedded material. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 18, 510–514 (1970)
Duesberg, P. H., Robinson, W. S.: Isolation of the nucleic acid of Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Proc. natl. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 54, 794–800 (1965)
Fraenkel-Conrat, H.: Descriptive catalogue of viruses. In: Comprehensive virology, vol. 1. New York: Plenum Press 1974
Grausz, H., Barley, L. E., Stephens, B. G., Lee, J. C., Hopper, J.: Diagnostic import of virus-like particles in the glomerular endothelium of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. New Engl. J. Med. 283, 506–511 (1970)
Györkey, F., Min, K.-W., Sincovics, J. G., Györkey, P.: Systemic lupus erythematosus and myxovirus. New Engl. J. Med. 280, 333 (1969)
Györkey, F., Sinkovics, J. G., Györkey, P.: Electron microscopic observations on structures resembling myxovirus in human sarcomas. Cancer (Philad.) 27, 1449–1454 (1971)
Hashimoto, K., Thompson, D. F.: Discoid lupus erythematosus. Arch. Derm. 101, 565–577 (1970)
Herndon, R. M., Rubinstein, L. J.: Light and electron microscopy observations on the development of viral particles in the inclusions of Dawson's encephalitis (subacute sclerosing panencephalitis). Neurology (Minneap.) 18, 8–20 (1968)
Horne, R.W.: Virus structure. In: M. Locke (ed.), Ultrastructure of cells and organisms. New York: Academic Press 1974
Jenis, E. H., Knieser, M. R., Rothouse, P. A., Jeusen, G. E., Scott, R. M.: Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. Immunoultrastructural localization of measles-virus antigen. Arch. Path. (Chic.) 95, 81–89 (1973)
Jenson, A. B., Spjut, H. J., Smith, M. N., Rapp, F.: Intracellular branched tubular structures in osteosarcoma. An ultrastructural and serological study. Cancer (Philad.) 27, 1440–1448 (1971)
Kistler, G. S., Groscurth, P.: Intrazisternale Tubuluskomplexe in Zellen menschlicher Keimlinge mit Röteln-Embryopathie. Virchows Arch. Abt. B 14, 77–82 (1973)
Landolt, A. M.: Ultrastructure of human sella tumors. Acta neurochir. (Wien), Suppl. 22 (1975)
Landry, M., Winkelmann, R. K.: Tubular cytoplasmic inclusion in dermatomyositis. Mayo Clin. Proc. 47, 479–492 (1972)
Le Pec, J.-B., Yot, P., Paoletti, C.: Interaction du bromhydrate d'ethidium (BET) avec les acides nucléiques. Etude spectrofluorimétrique. C. R. Acad. Sci. (Paris) 259, 1786–1789 (1964)
Lewandowski, L. J., Walers, D., Koprowski, H.: Characterization of a paramyxovirus isolated from multiple sclerosis brain tissue. In: Mahy, B. W., Bary, R. D. (eds.), Negative strand viruses, p. 203. London: Academic Press 1975
Luft, J. H.: Permanganate—a new fixative for electron microscopy. J. biophys. biochem. Cytol. 2, 799–801 (1956)
Lyon, G., Griscelli, C., Lebon, P.: Endothelial intracisternal tubular inclusions in a case of chronic encephalitis associated with immunological deficiency. Neuropädiatrie 3, 459–469 (1972)
Moolden, S. E., Silver, A.M., Mihalyfi, M.: Self-propagating cytotoxic agent in systemic lupus erythematosus. Amer. J. clin. Path. 60, 123 (1973)
Norris, F. H., Aguilar, M. J., Harmann, C. E.: Virus-like particles in a case of vasculitis with brain tumor. Arch. Neurol. (Chic.) 26, 212–217 (1972)
Norton, W. L.: Endothelial inclusions in active lesions of systemic lupus erythematosus. J. Lab. din. Med. 74, 369–379 (1969)
Oyanagi, S., Rorke, L. B., Katz, M., Koprowski, H.: Histopathology and electron microscopy of three eases of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). Acta neuropath. (Berl.) 18, 58–73 (1971)
Pease, D. C.: Histological techniques for electron microscopy, 2nd ed. New York: Academic Press 1964
Pérrier, O., Vanderhaegen, J. J., Pelc, S.: Subacute sclerosing leuco-encephalitis. Electron microscopic findings in two cases with inclusion bodies. Acta neuropath. (Berl.) 8, 362–380 (1967)
Peters, D., Giese, H.: Detection of DNA in thin sections. In: Proc. VII. Int. Congr. Electron Microscopy, vol. 1, Grenoble 1970
Peters, D., Giese, H.: Elektronenmikroskopischer Nachweis von DNS. Acta histochem. (Jena), Suppl. 10, 119–125 (1971)
Pincus, T., Blacklow, N. R., Grimley, P.M., Bellanti, J. A.: Glomerual microtubules of systemic lupus erythematosus. Lancet 1970 II, 1058–1061
Pothier, L., Uzman, B. G., Kasac, M. M., Saito, H., Adams, R. A.: Immunoglobulin synthesis and tubular arrays in the endoplasmic reticulum in transplanted human tumors of lymphoid origin. Lab. Invest. 29, 607–613 (1973)
Prunieras, M., Grupper, Ch., Durepaire, R., Beltzer-Garelly, E., Regnier, M.: Etude ultrastructurale de la peau dans 42 cas de lupus érythemateux. Presse med. 78, 2475–2479 (1970)
Schaff, Z., Barry, D.W., Grimley, P.M.: Cytochemistry of tubuloreticular structures in lymphocytes from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and in cultured human lymphoid cells. Comparison to a paramyxovirus. Lab. Invest. 29, 577–586 (1973)
Schaff, Z., Heine, II., Dalton, A. J.: Ultramorphological and ultracytochemical studies of tubuloreticular structures in lymphoid cells. Cancer Res. 32, 2696–2706 (1972)
Smith, R. D., Northrop, R. L.: Paramyxovirus-like structures in the nephrotic syndrome. Amer. J. clin. Path. 56, 97–103 (1971)
Toga, M., Berard, M., Tripier, M. F., Cesarini, J. P., Choux, R.: Etude ultrastructurale de quatre cas de leuco-éncéphalite sclérosante subaigue. Acta neuropath. (Berl.) 14, 1–13 (1969)
Uzman, B. G., Saito, H., Kasac, M.: Tubular arrays in the endoplasmic reticulum in human tumor cells. Lab. Invest. 24, 492–498 (1971)
Yotsuyanagi, M.: Mise en évidence au microscope électronique des chromosomes de la levure par une coloration spécifique. C. R. Acad. Sci. (Paris) 250, 1522–1524 (1960)
Yotsuyanagi, M., Guerrier, C.: Mise en évidence par des techniques cytochimiques et la microscopie électronique de l'acide désoxyribonucléique dans les mitochondries et les proplastes d'Allium cepa. C. R. Acad. Sci. (Paris) 260, 2344–2347 (1965)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Dedicated to Prof. Dr. G. Töndury on the occasion of his 70th birthday.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Landolt, A.M., Ryffel, U., Hosbach, H.U. et al. Ultrastructure of tubular inclusions in endothelial cells of pituitary tumors associated with acromegaly. Virchows Arch. A Path. Anat. and Histol. 370, 129–140 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00430809
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00430809