MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF NEOPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION IN RODENT FIBROBLAST CELL LINES

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 37  (3) , 892-897
Abstract
Populations from 7 pairs of neoplastic and nonneoplastic cell lines of common origin were compared for evidence of a change in morphological parameters accompanying neoplastic transformation. Projected cytoplasmic area, projected nuclear area, cell dry mass, nuclear dry mass, whole cell absorption at 265 nm and nuclear absorption at 265 nm were determined. Neoplastic transformation was consistently accompanied by 3 morphological features: decrease in projected area of the lamellar cytoplasm; decrease in the projected area of the nucleus and decrease in dry mass of the lamellar cytoplasm. UV absorption was less in neoplastic cells than in nonneoplastic cells, while nuclear mass remained approximately the same. These results are interpreted as quantitative evidence that neoplastic transformation is accompanied by morphological change. The morphological events may be characterized as a loss in cell surface and nuclear membrane components.