Computerized morphometric differentiation of chromatin changes in splenocytes from normal and calorie-restricted mice.

Morphometric image analysis of splenocytes obtained from mice fed calorie-restricted diets for periods of up to three weeks revealed slight but significant changes in nuclear size, nuclear texture and total amounts of stainable Feulgen-positive DNA as compared to age-and-sex-matched control cells. The cellular changes were associated with body weight loss and changes in the distribution of splenic T cells and B cells during the three weeks of dietary restriction. The reduced nuclear area and Feulgen-stained DNA may reflect an altered susceptibility of cells from nutrient-restricted sources toward acid hydrolysis. This in turn may be indicative of a temporarily altered synthesis of subcellular components, as these phenomena seem to lessen by the third week of dietary restriction.