[Organic lesions after application of hashish in rats and rabbits (author's transl)]

Toxic lesions were found in liver, kidney and brain of rats and rabbits after oral application of hashish for 7 or 30 days. The brain tissue showed hyperemia and edema. The cerebral cortex, brain stem and cerebellum contained ganglion cells with eccentric nuclei and an icreased number of nucleoli. Different stages of cell lesions could be distinguished by nuclear vacuoles, pyknosis and karyolysis. The cytoplasma was loosened and showed numerous vacuoles. In the kidney we found, besides interstitial hemorrhage, cloudy swelling of the proximal tubules with vacuolous degeneration and nuclear pyknosis and karyolysis in all stages. The glomeruli were often enlarged with thickening of Bowman's capsule and surrounding cellular infiltration with cell fragments. The liver cells showed irregularities of nuclei and vacuolated nuclei, plasma vacuoles and cell necrosis. Infiltrations of round cells at the portal-biliary areas were usually combined with an activation of the Kupffer cells and intracellular bile stasis.