Bivariate flow karyotyping of acute myelocytic leukemia in the BNML rat model

Univariate as well as bivariate flow karyotyping has been performed on chromosome suspensions obtained from the Brown Norway myelocytic leukemia (BNML), a rat model for human acute myelocytic leukemia (AML). Flow karyograms were obtained from both the in vivo transplantable parent line and from an in vitro established cell line. Density gradient centrifugation performed on cells arrested in mitosis resulted in an enrichment of mitotic cells. Furthermore, with this procedure leukemic and nonleukemic cells could be separated. Univariate analysis with propididum iodide (PI) as a DNA stain revealed the position of the several tumor-specific marker chromosomes in the in vitro cell line. Estimations of the peak position of the various chromosomes was done by comparing the univariate flow karyogram with a computer-simulated karyogram from the BNML that was derived from the mean length of the individual chromosomes in conventionally prepared metaphase slides. By comparing the bivariate flow karyogram of the in vivo BNML cells with the flow karyogram of normal BN cells, it was clearly demonstrated which peaks are involved in the altered chromosomal pattern of the BNML. No differences were found between the flow karyograms of the in vitro- and the ex vivo-derived chromosome suspensions in this rat leukemia model.