| Abstract: | Studies were made of the ultracytochemical changes in the cell membrane and microfilaments of colonic epithelial cells during tumorigenesis induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) in mice fed a high fat diet. The tumor cells showed reduced membrane ATPase activity and loss of contact with neighboring cells. Microfilaments in tumor cells showed an irregular intensity of fluorescent staining. Their actin filaments bound with heavy meromyosin (HMM) had an arrowhead pattern as in normal cells, but these complexes were shortened and detached from the cell membrane. The arrowheads were directed toward the interior in the terminal web of tumor cells. Microfilaments with long rootlets extended to the apical surface of some tumor cells. These results indicate that during development of colonic tumors, the structures of the cell membrane and microfilaments of the cells changes. |
