Glycosaminoglycan-synthetic activity of pleomorphic adenoma. Adenoid cystic carcinoma and nonneoplastic tubuloacinar cells of the salivary gland.

An analysis was carried out on glycosaminoglycan produced in pleomorphic adenoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, sialadenitis and normal tissue of the salivary gland. After incubation of the tissue segments in a medium containing 35SO4, a radioautograph of the tissue section was made to observe the localization of 35SO4 incorporation, and 35S-labelled materials were purified from the tissues, and analyzed. High 35S-radioactivity was observed in the ductal cells of the inflammatory gland tissue and in the acinar cells of normal palatinal gland, but little radioactivity was observed in the interstitial components in these tissues, and the amount of 35SO4 incorporated in the tumor cells was also significant. Eighty to 90% of the 35S-radioactivity incorporated could be detected as 35S-glycosaminoglycans in all tissues except for the normal palatinal gland, which contained a large amount of 35S-sulfated glycoprotein. No significant difference in the synthetic activity of 35S-glycosaminoglycans and in their components were observed between nonneoplastic and neoplastic cells. These results suggest that glycosaminoglycan-producing cells in pleomorphic adenoma as well as in adenoid cystic carcinoma are derived from the tubuloacinar cells of the salivary gland.