Differentiation of human neuroblastoma cells in vitro--morphological changes induced by dibutyrl cyclic AMP

Differentiation ability of neuroblastoma cells was studied in vitro, light and electron microscopically using three continuously cultured cell lines (NB-1, GOTO, and YT-nu) of human origin. The cells ordinarily cultured appeared to differentiate along directions of both ganglionic and paraganglionic characterized by cytoplasmic catecholamine granules measuring 150 to 250 treatment with But2cAMP in NB-1 and YT-nu cells, but GOTO cells revealed only one-directed differentiation along ganglionic cell regardless of But2cAMP conditioning. Morphological and functional differentiation of mouse and human neuroblastoma cells in vitro, conversion of rat phenochromocytoma cells into sympathetic neurons in vitro, and ultrastructural differentiation of human neuroblastoma in vivo were discussed. In conclusion, neuroblastoma might be derived from a primitive stem cell of neural crest origin which possesses the pluripotency to be capable of differentiating along the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and other neural crest derivatives under certain conditions.