Electrical sizing of liver cell nuclei by the particle beam method. Mean volume, volume distribution and electrical resistance.

Electrical sizing of liver cell nuclei gives similar results as histological techniques for the mean volume, the volume distribution and the proportions of the different nuclear volume populations. The electrical method has, compared to histological technics, however, the advantage of higher rapidity and accuracy. Due to the good volume resolution of the improved electrical sizing method two populations of nuclei with different mean volumes can be distinguished in rat liver tissue besides di-, tetra- and octoploid cell nuclei. In addition to the volume distribution curves, the mean electrical resistance of isolated liver nuclei can be determined by the electrical sizing method. A newly developed micromehod provides enough cell nuclei for electrical sizing from only 10 mg liver tissue in a few minutes. This should enable the measurement of nuclear volume distribution curves of human biopsy material from the liver and gastrointestinal tract for diagnostic purposes on a larger scale.