Cytologic comparison of a human fibroblast culture chemically transformed in vitro with its non-neoplastic parent cell strain

Abstract

Paired cultures of glutaraldehyde-fixed, nontransformed and chemically-transformed human fibroblasts were examined by quantitative microscopy. Significant differences were found to exist between the two cell types with respect to projected cell and nuclear area, dry weight distribution, cell cytoplasmic thickness and intracellular distribution of protein. Quantitative measurements of nuclear DNA failed to reveal a major difference between the two cell populations.