DNA, RNA and hemoglobin cytophotometry of maturing erythroid cells from liver nodules in rauscher virus infected mice

Abstract

Cytophotometrically estimated cellular amounts of DNA, RNA and hemoglobin were compared in erythroid cells from liver nodules of Rauscher virus infected mice and from bone marrow of mice made anemic with phenylhydrazine. Atypical erythroblastoid cells with small amounts of hemoglobin from Rauscher virus infected animals had greater amounts of RNA per cell than cells with similar amounts of hemoglobin from phenylhydrazine treated mice. Heavily hemoglobinized cells from virus treated animals tended to have postmitotic amounts of DNA, less cellular RNA and poorer correlation between cellular amounts of RNA and hemoglobin, than phenylhydrazine stimulated bone marrow cells. The cytochemical data support the concept that some Rauscher leukemia cells may contain small amounts of hemoglobin and have a certain capacity for maturation.