Nuclear changes induced in rat liver cells by thioacetamide

The observation by Rather (1) that thioacetamide induces a stepwise increase in hepatic nuclear volumes, in powers of two, accompanied by great increases in nucleolar and cytoplasmic volumes, suggested the possibility that this drug might be useful for the study of nuclear physiology. In the present study it has been demonstrated that the changes in nuclear volume induced by thioacetamide under the present conditions are not due to polyploidy, since the desoxyribonucleic acid content of the average nucleus did not change from the normal control level. However, great increases in both protein and ribonucleic acid of the average nucleus do accompany the administration of the drug.