Dry mass, DNA and non-histone protein determinations in lung cancer cells

Cell nuclei from two biopsies of bronchial mucosa, seven squamous-cell carcinomas and six small-cell carcinomas of the lung were investigated. DNA and non-histone protein (NHP) content were simultaneously determined in Feulgen-Naphthol Yellow S-stained smears by means of multiple plug cytophotometry. In addition, the nuclear dry mass of cells originating from the same populations was measured by interference microscopy. DNA histograms of carcinomas were characterized by DNA stemlines being situated in the diploid range in four out of six small-cell carcinomas and in the hyperdiploid to hypertetraploid range in six out of seven squamous-cell carcinomas. Polyploid values (up to 8 c) were seldom found in small-cell carcinomas whereas squamous-cell carcinomas showed a broader dispersion approaching the 16 c level. The similarity of the NHP distributions with the DNA histograms was more marked in small-cell carcinomas than in the squamous-cell carcinomas. In comparison with the NHP distributions of normal bronchial epithelial cells, those of carcinomas were shifted to higher values. The increased NHP content was found to be a more prominent sign of malignancy in small-cell carcinomas than the DNA mass. The increase in nuclear dry mass in carcinomas was mainly caused by the accumulation of NHP in tumour cell nuclei.