Abstract
Extract: Studies of the catecholamine metabolism in a patient having a functional ganglioneuroma are reported. Biochemical determinations of catecholamines and metabolites were correlated with histo-chemical and electron microscopic examination of the tumor. Increased urinary excretion of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy mandelic acid, homovanillic acid, and dopamine was found prior to excision of the tumor. There was no significant increase in excretion of normetanephrine-metanephrine or of norepinephrine-epinephrine. Concentration of norepinephrine and epinephrine in the tumor tissue was 0.095 mg/g. This concentration is greater than that found in neuroblastomas, but less than that found in pheochromocytomas. Normetanephrine-metanephrine was detected in the tumor tissue, indicating degradation of norepinephrine by catechol-O-methyl transferase. Computed turnover of norepinephrine in the tumor tissue was 6.85 hours.
Catecholamines were present within heavy mitochondrial fractions prepared from tumor tissue; the spontaneous release of norepinephrine into the suspending medium was determined during incubation under standard conditions. The data indicate that rapid turnover of norepinephrine was not related to accelerated spontaneous release from catecholamine granules. Electron microscopic examination revealed ganglion cells and a complex neuropil. Dense core vesicles were present in many of the neural processes and in ganglion cells. Synaptic junctions between neural processes and between neural processes and ganglion cells were seen. Nerve bundles containing neural processes were present. There was wide variation in the cross sectional diameter of the processes.
The number of Type I dense core vesicles of this ganglioneuroma were decreased in comparison with those found in pheochromocytomas and increased in relation to neuroblastomas.
Speculation: The synapse-like areas of membrane specialization observed in this tumor may have been part of the mechanism by which differentiation of the ganglion cells was directed. The high rate of turnover of catecholamines does not seem to be dependent upon an increased rate of spontaneous release of catecholamines from isolated secretory vesicles.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rosenthal, I., Greenberg, R., Kathan, R. et al. Catecholamine Metabolism of a Ganglioneuroma: Correlation with Electronmicrographs. Pediatr Res 3, 413–424 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-196909000-00004
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-196909000-00004
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
An ultrastructural study of two cases of adrenal ganglioneuroma
Medical Electron Microscopy (1995)
-
Cerebral gangliocytoma
Acta Neuropathologica (1987)
-
Primary cerebral neuroblastoma: A light and electron microscopic study
Acta Neuropathologica (1978)
-
Light and electron microscopic observations on a ganglioneuroma
Acta Neuropathologica (1978)
-
Ultrastructural and biochemical study of benign ganglioneuroma
Virchows Archiv Abteilung A Pathologische Anatomie (1973)