Gross
chromatin imbalance and high
DNA content are distinct features of various types of
cancer cells. However, severe
inflammation can also produce similar symptoms in cells. In this study, normal, inflammatory, and
carcinoma hepatic cells were stained with
4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (
DAPI) and investigated by hyperspectral microscopy.
DAPI is
a DNA-sensitive
fluorochrome. Therefore, the differences in the cellular
DNA of the samples can be revealed by the corresponding fluorescence. Our experimental results demonstrate that although
chromosomal disorder and high
DNA content both occur in severely inflammatory and
carcinoma hepatic cells, there is still a slight difference in their
DNA, making their fluorescent intensity and even their spectral shapes distinguishable. Based on these spectral features, we developed a method for the precise identification of normal, inflammatory, and
carcinoma hepatic cells in the field of view. The identification accuracy for these three types of cells was 99.8%. We believe that examination that combines
DAPI staining with hyperspectral microscopy is a potential method for the identification and investigation of various types of
cancer tissues.