A cytophotometric measurement of DNA in murine hepatocytic nuclei during cytomegalovirus infection.

The amount of Feulgen-DNA in the nuclei of normal murine hepatocytes as well as those from livers on the third and fifth day after lethal, cytomegalovirus infection was assessed by scanning cytophotometry. The technique enabled the measurement of the increasing content of DNA in hepatocytic nuclei during the course of the disease. The results suggest that although some of this increase may be due to cellular DNA synthesis, most of it is due to viral DNA replication. Lastly, the megalohepatocytes which characterise this disease reflect viral replication in predominantly diploid hepatocytes.