Ultrastructural ultracytochemical investigation of human gastric carcinomas

We describe the ultrastructure of various types of gastric carcinoma cells as well as their histochemical properties as visualized at the electron-microscope level. The histochemical properties of tumour cells were compared with those of homologous normal epithelial cells. The localization and activity of ATPase, IDPase, acidic phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase as well as of the oxidoreductases (cytochrome oxidase, succinate dehydrogenase and NADH-dehydrogenase) were studied. Our findings demonstrated that, in tumour cells, a complicated process of structural-functional restructuring takes place. It seems that a number of ultracytochemical properties may be preserved or may disappear altogether; also, such properties may become enhanced or weaker. This heterogeneity of the histochemical properties of tumour cells is discussed with regard to the role of the stem (polypotent) cell in the process of the histogenesis (cytogenesis) of human gastric carcinomas.