VASOACTIVE INTESTINAL PEPTIDE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO GANGLION-CELL DIFFERENTIATION IN NEUROBLASTIC TUMORS

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 41  (2) , 144-149
Abstract
Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that immunoreactive vasoactive intestinal peptide is present in and restricted to the differentiating and mature ganglion cells in a variety of normal and neoplastic [human] neural tissues. In a composite pheochromocytoma-ganglioneuroma (associated with the syndrome of watery diarrhea, hypokalemia and hypochlorhydria), 5 ganglioneuroblastomas, 5 ganglioneuromas (2 of which were associated with diarrheal syndromes), an unusual mixed neuroblastoma-ganglioneuroma and 4 normal sympathetic ganglia, vasoactive intestinal peptide was present in differentiating and mature ganglion cells. The peptide was also demonstrated in isolated ganglion cells in 2 pheochromocytomas but was not present in pheochromocytes, Schwann cells or undifferentiated neuroblastic cells in the neuroblastomas and ganglioneuroblastomas. The presence and presumably the production of vasoactive intestinal peptide thus reflect a particular line of neuroblastic differentiation and are not merely a reflection of common derivation of these tissues. Identification of vasoactive intestinal peptide in neurogenic tumors associated with diarrhea supports the contention that the peptide might be an important diarrheogenic factor in these tumors.