Abstract
Summary
Human heart muscle cells are diploid at birth. In agreement with other data, they become tetraploid in normal adults and develop greater polyploidy in adult hypertrophy. Some cases of infantile hypertrophy appear to have mostly tetraploid nuclei. In keeping with the enlargement of muscle cells which occurs during growth, the DNA/protein ratio is high at birth, progressively decreasing until adulthood, after which it does not change in hypertrophied hearts except in clinically unusual conditions. This stability of the DNA/protein ratio in hypertrophy thus appears due to a concomitant increase in DNA and protein in the muscle cells.
Thanks are due to Jacqueline Cerniak and Hellen Ellis for skilled technical assistance and Dr. George M. Hass for encouragement and support.
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