Endometrial Argyrophil Cell Adenocarcinoma with Indole- or Catecholamine Precursor Uptake and Decarboxylation

The capacity for indole- or catecholamine precursor uptake and decarboxylation of the argyrophil cell adenocarcinoma of the endometrium was examined by fluorescence microscopy, microspectrofluorometry, and biochemical analyses. Both argyrophil and nonargyrophil cell adenocarcinomas of the human endometrium have been grown serially in nude mice. With the use of the formaldehyde-induced wet-histofluorescence method, yellowish green fluorescence was demonstrated in the cytoplasm of some cells of the argyrophil cell adenocarcinomas after exposure in vitro and in vivo to L-dopa. When 5-hydroxytrytophan was administered in vitro and in vivo to these tumors, an intense yellow fluorescence was also obtained in the cytoplasm. These fluorescent products were located in the argyrophil cells and corresponded to argyrophil granules. Microspectrofluorometrical and biochemical analyses strongly suggested that the yellowish green fluorescent products were dopamine and the yellow ones were serotonin, produced by decarboxylation of each amine precursor.