La relación núcleo-citoplasmática en la diferenciación y transformación celular del epitelio mamario

background: cells of the hc11 line are stimulated to proliferate using the epidermic growth factor, and to differentiate with dexamethasone, insulin and prolactin, giving rise to cell types hc11 gm and hc11 im, respectively. likewise when they are transfected with the ras oncogen they generate q6 gm and q6 im transformed cells. as a result of these two mechanisms, these cells assume different properties, in which both their components and their functions are modified. the modifications can be quantified by morphometric techniques. objective: to show in quantitative and morphological terms the variations effected in both the nuclei and the cytoplasms, and the corresponding nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio of mammary cells of the hc11 line, under the effects of cellular differentiation and transformation mechanisms. method: the cell types undergoing differentiation and transformation processes were studied by transmission electron microscope, permitting quantification of variations in the nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio and its relation with the respective functions. results: statistically significant differences were found in the nuclear and cytoplasmic areas of these cell types. conclusion: cells of the mammary epithelium undergoing differentiation and transformation processes present different values for their nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio, and this responds specific functions in each cell-type.