MORPHOLOGIC CHARACTERIZATION OF TWO ESTABLISHED CELL LINES, T24 AND MGH-U1, DERIVED FROM HUMAN BLADDER CARCINOMA

Abstract

Two established cell lines, T24 cells and MGH-U1 cells, derived from human bladder transitional cell carcinoma were investigated for their morphology. Light microscopic findings indicated that both the cell lines kept epithelial features and grew on multilayering pattern. Scanning electron microscopy disclosed that the cells had microvilli as well as cytoplasmic protrusions on the cell surface. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the junctional complex between adjacent cells and well-developed cytoplasmic organelles. Virus like particles could not be identified. The cells in proliferating phase showed polymorphic appearance, but electron microscopic examination failed to prove that the each cell line consisted of a morphologically different type of cells in view of ultrastructure. Thus the two cell lines were considered to be rather monotonous cell populations. Both the cell lines resembled so closely each other that it was difficult to distinguish them by morphologic findings, although T24 cells contained slightly much more numbers of spindle shaped cells and relatively well-developed microvilli as compared with MGH-U1 cells. Chromosomes were distributed from hypertriploid to hypertetraploid with the modal number of 91 in T24 cells and 85 in MGH-U1 cells. The present results suggested that T24 cells were transformed in the morphologic appearance following the long-term culture, when referred to previously reported data.