Effect of some carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on gap junction intercellular communication in hepatoma cell cultures.

One of the systems that regulate tissue homeostasis is gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC). It is accepted that the down-regulation of GJIC is linked to the tumor-promoting properties of carcinogens. In this study, the effect of some carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) on GJIC was investigated.

The topology of early- and late-replicating chromatin in differentially decondensed chromosomes.

In this study we used a novel technique to reveal both longitudinal and transverse differentiation within mammalian mitotic chromosomes. Structural changes in chromosomes that we term 'differential decondensation' were produced in cells that were first incubated in hypotonic medium (15% Hanks' solution), then adapted to normotonic conditions and thereafter exposed to a second short hypotonic shock. Such a double hypotonic treatment (DHT) is not critical for cell viability, but considerably elongates the G2 phase of the cell cycle.