Summary
With the aim of elucidating the structure and composition of the cytoplasmic matrix in renal carcinomas, eleven tumors obtained during surgery were subjected to a comparative light and electron microscopic study, complemented with determinations of glycogen in homogenates of tumor tissue and normal renal cortex.
The findings indicated that in carcinomas of clear cell type, translucency of cytoplasm is due to the presence of glycogen, in some instances in combination with occurrence of neutral fat. These substances occupy the major part of the cytoplasm while cytoplasmic organelles are sparse. The granular cells contain abundant mitochondria while glycogen and fat is lacking or is only present in small amounts. PAS-positive, non-glycogenic material could not be demonstrated within the cytoplasm of either cell type; such material is, however, forming extracellular “coatings” on both cell types and is probably of glycoprotein nature. The significance of the findings was discussed and reference was made to pitfalls in the technique for properly demonstrating different types of PAS-positive materials. A comparison with the appearance of routinely fixed tissues indicated that reliable information concerning PAS-positive substances cannot be obtained from such material.
Zusammenfassung
Mit der Absicht, die Struktur und Zusammensetzung der cytoplasmatischen Matrix in Nierencarcinomen klarzustellen, wurden elf durch Operation erhaltene Tumoren einer vergleichenden licht- und elektronenmikroskopischen Untersuchung unterworfen und mit Bestimmungen von Glykogen in homogenisierten Tumorgewebe und in der normalen Nierenrinde ergänzt. Die Resultate zeigen, daß die Durchsichtigkeit des Cytoplasmas in klarzelligen Carcinomen auf dem Vorhandensein von Glykogen, zuweilen auch in Kombination mit Neutralfett beruht. Diese Substanzen nehmen den größten Teil des Cytoplasmas ein, während cytoplasmatische Organellen nur spärlich vorhanden sind. Die granulären Carcinomzellen enthalten viele Mitochondrien; Glykogen und Fett dagegen kommen gar nicht oder nur in geringen Mengen vor. PAS-positives, nichtglykogenes Material konnte im Cytoplasma keiner der beiden Zelltypen nachgewiesen werden. Dieses Material bildet extracelluläre „coatings“ an beiden Zelltypen und ist vermutlich glykoproteidiger Natur. Die Bedeutung der Untersuchungsergebnisse wird diskutiert, und es wird auf technische Schwierigkeiten für die exakte Bestimmung der verschiedenen Typen PAS-positiven Material hingewiesen. Ein Vergleich mit der Struktur routinefixierten Materials zeigte, daß zuverlässige Informationen über das Vorkommen von PAS-positiven Substanzen in solchem Material nicht zu erhalten sind.
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This investigation was supported by Grant No. 65:61 from the Swedish Cancer Society.
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Ericsson, J.L.E., Seljelid, R. & Orrenius, S. Comparative light and electron microscopic observations of the cytoplasmic matrix in renal carcinomas. Virchows Arch. path Anat. 341, 204–223 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00961071
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00961071