Metamorphosed fibroblasts and their relation to the histogenesis of malignant fibrous histiocytoma in experimental murine model

Abstract

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) is a clinicopathologically established entity, but its histogenesis remains to be clarified. We have reported the existence of a specific cell type, the "fibrohistiocytoid (FH) cells", in various chronic inflammatory tissues. The FH cells are the metamorphosed fibroblasts and we have revealed the morphological resemblance between FH cells and MFH cells. In the present study we carried out some experiments to ascertain whether the FH cells have a possibility of neoplastic potential for the development of MFH in mice. A total of 50 female Balb/c mice treated with a chemical carcinogen, 9,lOdimethyl- 1,2-benzanthracene (DMBA), were examined histopathologically from 8 to 22 weeks after the initial treatment. It was found that 1) the chemically induced tumors in the mice resembled human pleomorphic/ storiform variant of MFH and cells from the tumor were transplantable subcutaneously in the back of another mouse, 2) the tumors were composed mainly of malignant FH cells, and there were many benign FH cells and fibroblasts in granulation tissues obtained at the initial stage of the experiment, 3) all DNA histograms obtained from MFHs were aneuploid and granulation tissues were diploid, and 4) benign FH cells in the granulation tissue appeared to have higher DNA synthesis activity than typical fibroblasts on the basis of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling and cytofluorometric studies. From these findings, we suggest that the FH cells are not only a merely morphologically changed fibroblast, but also a biologically ominous cell which may contribute to develop MFH in mice.