DESOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID CONTENT AND CELL DENSITY IN BRAIN AND HUMAN BRAIN TUMORS

The desoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content per nucleus and per unit weight of tissue have been determined chemically in normal cerebral cortex, cerebellar cortex, and corpus callosum of man, dog, and cat and in various human brain tumors. Nuclear densities have been calculated from these determinations. Corpus callosum contains approximately the same total number of cells as does cerebral cortex; cerebellar cortex contains several times this number. The nuclear density in tumors is usually higher than in cerebral cortex or corpus callosum. The amount of DNA per nucleus in primary brain tumors is considerably higher than in normal tissue. The average DNA per nucleus in the more primitive and malignant tumors appears to be higher than in the more differentiated tumors. Calculations indicate that the increase in the DNA per nucleus in brain tumors is more likely to be due to polyploidy than to increased mitotic activity.

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THE METABOLISM OF NORMAL BRAIN AND HUMAN GLIOMAS IN RELATION TO CELL TYPE AND DENSITY

Canadian Journal of Biochemistry and Physiology ◽

10.1139/o55-052 ◽

1955 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 395-403 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Irving H. Heller ◽

K. A. C. Elliott

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Cortex ◽

White Matter ◽

Brain Tumors ◽

Corpus Callosum ◽

Oxygen Uptake ◽

Glial Cells ◽

Cerebellar Cortex ◽

Unit Weight ◽

Uptake Rates ◽

The Brain

Per unit weight, cerebral and cerebellar cortex respire much more actively than corpus callosum. The rate per cell nucleus is highest in cerebral cortex, lower in corpus callosum, and still lower in cerebellar cortex. The oxygen uptake rates of the brain tumors studied, with the exception of an oligodendroglioma, were about the same as that of white matter on the weight basis but lower than that of cerebral cortex or white matter on the cell basis. In agreement with previous work, an oligodendroglioma respired much more actively than the other tumors. The rates of glycolysis of the brain tumors per unit weight were low but, relative to their respiration rate, glycolysis was higher than in normal gray or white matter. Consideration of the figures obtained leads to the following tentative conclusions: Glial cells of corpus callosum respire more actively than the neurons of the cerebellar cortex. Neurons of the cerebral cortex respire on the average much more actively than neurons of the cerebellar cortex or glial cells. Considerably more than 70% of the oxygen uptake by cerebral cortex is due to neurons. The oxygen uptake rates of normal oligodendroglia and astrocytes are probably about the same as the rates found per nucleus in an oligodendroglioma and in astrocytomas; oligodendroglia respire much more actively than astrocytes.

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THE METABOLISM OF NORMAL BRAIN AND HUMAN GLIOMAS IN RELATION TO CELL TYPE AND DENSITY

Canadian Journal of Biochemistry and Physiology ◽

10.1139/y55-052 ◽

1955 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 395-403 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Irving H. Heller ◽

K. A. C. Elliott

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Cortex ◽

White Matter ◽

Brain Tumors ◽

Corpus Callosum ◽

Oxygen Uptake ◽

Glial Cells ◽

Cerebellar Cortex ◽

Unit Weight ◽

Uptake Rates ◽

The Brain

Per unit weight, cerebral and cerebellar cortex respire much more actively than corpus callosum. The rate per cell nucleus is highest in cerebral cortex, lower in corpus callosum, and still lower in cerebellar cortex. The oxygen uptake rates of the brain tumors studied, with the exception of an oligodendroglioma, were about the same as that of white matter on the weight basis but lower than that of cerebral cortex or white matter on the cell basis. In agreement with previous work, an oligodendroglioma respired much more actively than the other tumors. The rates of glycolysis of the brain tumors per unit weight were low but, relative to their respiration rate, glycolysis was higher than in normal gray or white matter. Consideration of the figures obtained leads to the following tentative conclusions: Glial cells of corpus callosum respire more actively than the neurons of the cerebellar cortex. Neurons of the cerebral cortex respire on the average much more actively than neurons of the cerebellar cortex or glial cells. Considerably more than 70% of the oxygen uptake by cerebral cortex is due to neurons. The oxygen uptake rates of normal oligodendroglia and astrocytes are probably about the same as the rates found per nucleus in an oligodendroglioma and in astrocytomas; oligodendroglia respire much more actively than astrocytes.

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Electron microscopic study of ATPase activity in human brain tumors

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/jns.1973.38.4.0420 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 38 (4) ◽

pp. 420-427 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Saburo Nakamura ◽

Mitsusuke Miyagami ◽

Nobuo Moriyasu

Keyword(s):

Brain Tumors ◽

Atpase Activity ◽

Human Brain ◽

Malignant Tumors ◽

Ultrastructural Localization ◽

Vascular Wall ◽

Electron Microscopic ◽

Content Type ◽

Human Brain Tumors ◽

Low Activity

✓ Ultrastructural localization of ATPase was demonstrated in 15 human brain tumors; ATPase activity in the tumor cell was outside the cell membrane and appeared in varying degrees according to the type of tumor. Nonglial tumors such as meningiomas and chromophobe pituitary adenomas showed more intense enzyme activity than gliomas; malignant tumors such as medulloblastoma and glioblastoma multiforme showed low activity. Blood vessels in the tumor showed poor ATPase activity in both endothelium and basement membrane; the lack of ATPase in the vascular wall may contribute to the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier.

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Invasion of human brain tumors in vitro: relationship to clinical evolution

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/jns.1990.72.4.0589 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 72 (4) ◽

pp. 589-593 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Leo de Ridder ◽

Luc Calliauw

Keyword(s):

Brain Tumors ◽

Human Brain ◽

Malignant Tumors ◽

Benign Tumors ◽

Initial Contact ◽

Type I ◽

Human Brain Tumors ◽

Type Iii ◽

Pattern Type

✓ Embryonic chick heart fragments were confronted in vitro with cells from 26 freshly resected human brain tumors. The tumor-derived cells were scored according to their survival and invasiveness. Four different responses were observed: disintegration of the tumor-derived cells (Type I); survival of cells without progressive engulfing or invasion of the heart fragment (Type II); initial encircling of the heart fragment followed by invasion (Type III); and massive invasion on initial contact (Type IV). Pattern Type III or IV was seen in 11 of 14 preparations derived from malignant tumors, and pattern Type I or II was seen in seven of 10 preparations derived from benign tumors. These results suggested that “classical malignancy,” based upon the histological classification and the degree of spread in vivo, correlated with invasiveness in vitro.

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