[Cytophotometric, morphometric and electron microscopic studies of the cardiomyocytes of the human atrium in ischemic heart disease].

During an open-heart surgery, right atrium myocytes were obtained from 5 patients (aged from 40 to 54 years) with ischemic hearts. The DNA and total protein contents were measured in isolated cells using two-wavelength scanning cytophotometry after the double staining: the Feulgen nuclear reaction followed by naphthol yellow S staining. The degree of ploidy in the investigated myocytes appeared not high. The number of 2c, 4c and 8c cells varied, respectively, from 35 to 55%, from 39 to 55%, and from 5 to 15%. The share of 2-nuclear cells varied from 0 to 6%. The average square of tetraploid cells is more than that of diploid cells. In cells of a given size the protein content is higher in cells with higher ploidy, but the difference is not of 2-fold value. Larger 2c and 4c cells had more protein. In all the patients examined, along with myocytes with normal ultrastructure, some myocytes with different degree of organelle damage were observed, whose share varied in different patients. Myocytes with moderately to heavily damaged organelles are of more frequent occurrence in patients who displayed as well the highest myocyte hypertrophy and the largest share of polyploid cells.