Ultrastructural studies and metabolic regulation of isolated adrenocortical carcinoma cells of rat.

With a trypsin digestion method, an isolated adrenocortical carcinoma cell preparation has been achieved. The electron microscopic examination of tumor cells shows the sparsity of the lipid granules and mitochondria. The cristae of the mitochondria are tubular, in contrast to the vesicular cristae in the normal cells. Other ultrastructural features of these cells are presented. The adrenocortical carcinoma cells did not respond for corticosteroidogenesis to adrenocorticotropic hormone, cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate, cyclic inosine 3',5'-monophosphate, cyclic thymidine 3',5'-monophosphate, cyclic uridine 3',5'-monophosphate, cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate, cyclic cytidine 3',5'-monophosphate, and cyclic N6-2'-0-dibutyryladenosine 3',5'-monophosphate. Similarly,