Quantitative cytochemical methods for the study of tumour cell populations

Abstract

The general recording ultramicrospectrographic methods for quantitative cytochemical analysis are as a rule time-consuming when applied to work on especially large cell populations. A series of rapid methods are described, methods particularly suited to investigation of nucleotide and protein metabolism in large cell populations where the cells or cell elements lie free from each other. The instruments comprise: (1) A rapid scanning high-resolution microspectrograph for both the ultra-violet and the visible spectral region. This instrument is also especially suitable for measurements in ordinary cell material of the Feulgen absorption in large series with high resolution. (2) A recording high-resolution microinterferometer with an integrating device. (3) A modified microradiographic mass-determination method with a special measuring instrument for microradiograms of large cell populations ( L. Carlson). (4) A microplanimeter, designed especially for nucleolar and nuclear volume measurements, with electronic data recording on three channels. A series of examples is given of the use of these instruments in the study primarily of DNA metabolism problems in tumour cell populations.