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Characterization of a newly established cell line derived from human adrenocortical carcinoma
1Department of Urology, Kidney Disease Center, Saitama Medical School, Iruma, Japan. camtmune@saitama-med.ac.jp
Background:
ACT-1, a new cell line of human adrenocortical carcinoma, has been established and successfully maintained in culture. This study examined the biological characteristics of the cells.
Methods:
The tumor cells were isolated from a surgical specimen of the tumor thrombus and cultured in monolayer.
Results:
Histologically, the primary tumor was composed of a solid proliferation of large polygonal cells. A part of the atrophic adrenal cortex remained at the periphery of the tumor. The cultured ACT-1 cells were spindle-shaped in morphology and grew exponentially with an approximate population doubling time of 24 h. A chromosomal analysis revealed a modal number of 61 with consistent structural abnormalities of add(3)(q11), add(9)(p11), and add(16)(ql1). The expression of 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase was observed in the ACT-1 cells as well as in normal human adrenal glands.
Conclusions:
The ACT-1 cell line provides a reproducible model system which gives good insight into the oncogenesis of adrenocortical carcinoma.