Flow microfluorometric analysis of nuclear DNA in cells from solid tumors and cell suspensions. A new method for rapid isolation and straining of nuclei.

A one-step procedure for the preparation of nuclei for flow microfluorometric DNA analysis is described. The membranes of the cells were lysed by the non-ionic detergent Nonidet P40. Single-cell suspensions, and specimens of solid tissues obtained with fine-needle biopsy, could be prepared equally well as the nuclei of solid tissue cells were released separately. Lysis was performed in the staining solution containing either ethidium bromide or propidium iodide. Fluorescence due to fluorochrome binding to RNA, was abolished instantaneously by the presence of RNA-se, and fluorochrome binding to secondary binding sites in DNA was inhibited with NaCl. The preparation time was 10 min and the samples were stable for a minimum of 12 h. With the basic version of the method, usable, but not always optimal, results were obtained in all the cell types tested: four different mouse ascites tumors, leucocytes, bone-marrow, liver cells, human lymphomas, human carcinomas of the breast and lung, mouse mammary carcinoma and solid JB-1 tumor. The method was further optimized for the JB-1 ascites tumour. The resulting two modified techniques are described. Differences in the staining of leucocytes with the analogues ethidium bromide and propidium iodide were demonstrated.