Preparation of chromosome suspensions from cells of a solid experimental tumour for measurement by flow cytometry

A method is described by which metaphase chromosomes are isolated from cells of a transplantable rat sarcoma. The chromosomes are derived from cells in a suspension prepared by trypsinisation of tumours from rats that have been treated with vindesine 24 h before excision in order to accumulate cells in mitosis. Histograms obtained for the chromosomes of the solid tumour are compared with flow karyotypes of cells cultured for 20 h or for several generations in vitro.