Morphology and function of human neuroblastoma xenotransplanted in nude mice.

Nine human neuroblastomas were serially transplanted in nude mice. All transplanted tumors were taken from patients older than the age of 1 year 10 months. In contrast, the authors were unable to transplant tumors from patients younger than 1 year 7 months of age, in spite of many attempts. All transplanted tumors produced varying amounts of cathecolamines as revealed by the liquid chromatography and formalin-induced fluorescence techniques. The content of the cathecolamines was closely correlated with the number and size of secretory granules. In high cathecolamine-producing tumors, cell clusters showing strong yellow-orange fluorescence plus a positive argyrophil reaction suggesting pheochromoblastic differentiation were demonstrated by our combined cathecolamine fluorescence and argyrophil reaction method. One of the transplantable tumor lines was demonstrated by unique host responses and biochemical data, to produce adrenocorticotropic hormone and increased cathecolamines. Our observations indicate that neuroblastoma derived from neural crest cells seem to have a nearly complete hormone production function as compared with their normal counterparts.