The estimation of nucleic acids in individual isolated nuclei of ascites tumors by ultraviolet microspectrophotometry and its comparison with the chemical analysis.

Abstract

Summary 1.The results of the microspectrophotometric analysis on nucleic acids in isolated nuclei of tumors and normal tissues were in good agreement with those of the biochemical analysis on the same material. 2.The DNA content/cell in the Ehrlich ascites tumor is approximately twice that found in normal diploid nuclei (corresponding to tetraploid nuclei), while the relative deviations from the mean value do not differ significantly from that found in normal cells. The DBA ascites lymphoma contains amounts of DNA similar to those of normal diploid cells. These results are in agreement with the chromosome counts of Hauschka and Levan on the same material. 3.The average RNA content per nucleus was markedly increased (20–25 per cent of the total nucleic acid) in the ascites tumors over that of the nuclei of normal tissue (3–7 per cent of the total nucleic acid).