Quantification of nuclear DNA and intracellular glycogen in a single cell by fluorescent double-staining.

It was found that intracellular glycogen is stabilized against acid treatment when it is stored under dry conditions for three months after methanol fixation. This stabilization allowed quantitative double fluorescence staining for nuclear DNA and intracellular glycogen, in a single cell. A Feulgen nucleal reaction, with acriflavine-Schiff's reagent following 5 N HCl hydrolysis at 25 degrees C for 4 min, was followed by a pararosanilin-Schiff PAS reaction for glycogen. This short term hydrolysis was found to be sufficient for the performance of a acriflavine-Schiff's Feulgen nucleal reaction and to provide good preservation of intracellular glycogen. Quantification of nuclear DNA and intracellular glycogen were consecutively carried out with a digital microfluorometer on a single ascites cancer cell of the AH-13 line stained by this method. It was found that there is a positive linear correlation between the amount of DNA and glycogen in this cell line.