Studies in the microchemistry of the cell. I.—The chromatin content of normal and malignant cells, as demonstrated by Feulgen's “Nuclealreaktion."

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Abstract
According to Feul-gen, when sections of suitably fixed material are submitted to mild hydrolysis, treated with fuchsin-sul-phurous acid, and then thoroughly washed in sulphurous acid, the nucleoproteids of animal cells are stained an intense purple or violet color. On the basis of this conception the following are the conclusions regarding thymus-nucleic acid protein complexes (chromatin) of animal nuclei. During oogenesis in the rat and mouse there is no increase in chromatin content of the nucleus. When the germinal vesicle breaks down to form the chromosomes, no chromatin is extruded into the cytoplasm. Neither oxyphil- nor basophil-staining nucleoli of the oocyte of the mollusk, Limnaea stagnalis, contain chromatin. Sperm heads of both Limnaea and of the mouse and rat stain intensely. At the stages of spermatogenesis when the chromosomes are stretched the reaction is faint, but becomes progressively brighter with condensation. There are indications that the chromosomes contain other substances in addition to chromatin. No chromatin extrusion was observed in epithelial cells of the epididymis. After secretory activity the nuclei of gland cells often become shrunken and irregularly lobed, as is well seen in the adrenal medulla following exposure to cold. Such exhausted nuclei still stain brightly, so that apparently some substance other than chromatin is lost during functional activity. It was not found possible to demonstrate any relationship between amount of chromatin in a tumor-cell nucleus and rate of growth of the tumor. In sections through a tar tumor and the surrounding skin no difference was apparent in the amount of chromatin of the normal and of the malignant cells. During cellular degeneration in the tumors examined the nuclei become shrunken. The chromatin runs together and the whole nucleus stains intensely. Chromosomes of all tumors examined stain intensely. During the prophase the chromosomes are separate from the nucleolus. Nuclear extrusions, which are well marked in some tumors consist of nucleolar material and not chromatin. It is principally nucleolar extrusions which give rise to keratohyalin during cornifi-cation. Some large nuclei contain apparently the same amount of chromatin as smaller ones, but giant nuclei, occurring in some tumors and formed either by irregularities of cell division or by fusion of smaller nuclei, contain large masses of chromatin.

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