1981 Volume 21 Issue 8 Pages 829-837
The author introduced and applied a new method for investigation of cell motility in different human brain tumors, and studied their morphological characteristics during movement with a scanning electron microscope. Applying the principle that brightness of objects is reflected on the level of the video signal, motility of cultured cells in the Rose's chamber was continuously traced by controlling the video signal obtained from a video camera mounted on a phase contrast microscope. Displacement of the cultured cells on the plane was expressed as a sequential change of a pen recorder and in this system, the displacement of 1.5 μm corresponded to a change of 100 mV of the potential level. Cultured brain tumor cells showed differences in motility characteristics according to the cell origin. Meningioma and glioblastoma cells showed high motility. Malignant astrocytoma cells showed high motility when compared with benign astrocytoma cells. One of the morphological characteristics in movement of the cultured brain tumor cells was ruffling membrane formation at the periphery of the cytoplasm, the same as that observed in other mammalian cells. Direction and speed of the cell displacement were closely correlated with the site of formation and activity of ruffling. The glioblastoma and meningioma cells showed conspicuous ruffling activity. Some of these ruffles either stood erect or folded backwards. On the other hand, low grade astrocytoma cells showed faint ruffles at the apex of the cell processes. The significance of these differences in terms of motility and morphology shown in cultured brain tumor cells was discussed.
