Determination of Deoxyribonucleic Acid Content of Heart Muscle in Experimental Cardiac Hypertrophy

Total DNA content of the whole heart muscle of the Goldblatt rats was chemically determined, and the DNA content per single nucleus of the heart muscle cell and of the interstitial cell was determined by the microspectrophotometric method, in order to substantiate the assumption of cell division of the heart muscle in experimental cardiac hypertrophy. Total DNA content of the whole heart muscle and the DNA content per 100mg of heart weight in the hypertensive group was significantly higher than those in the control group. The DNA content per nucleus of the muscle cell and of interstitial cell was found to be constant in both groups. It seems that the increase in DNA content indicates the increase in the number of heart muscle cells as well as of interstitial cells.