[Tissue culture study of meningioma and hemangiopericytoma]

Intracranial meningioma cells and hemangiopericytoma cells were cultured in vitro for immunohistological and ultrastructural study. Anti-vimentin, desmin, actin, alpha-actinin and laminin monoclonal antibodies were applied for immunohistological examination. Three dimension culture cells in collagen gel were examined by electron microscopy for ultrastructural studies. Cultured meningioma cells and hemangiopericytoma cells were positive for anti-vimentin stain, while desmin, actin, alpha-actinin were positive in only hemangiopericytoma cells. The culture morphology of these two cells was same in light microscopic study except for the whorl formation in meningioma cells. Reconstruction of intercellular junctions such as desmosomes and junctional complexes were common in cultured meningioma cells but seldom in hemangiopericytoma cells. Hemangiopericytoma cells continued to have prominent intracytoplasmic intermediate filaments and microfilaments forming dense bodies in culture. These results suggest that intracranial hemangiopericytoma has something in common with smooth muscle cell and fibroblast cells which forms the vascular and perivascular tissues, and it is distinguishable from meningioma.