The morphology and histochemistry of adult rats neurocytes after BCNU administration

Studies were performed on adult rats of Wistar strain given four 7-days-spaced intraperitoneal doses of BCNU with single dose resembling to used in clinical practice. The animals were sacrificed at the seventh day after the last dose of the drug. Morphological alterations were evaluated in H + E or cresyl violet stained sections. In frozen microtome sections histoenzymatic reactions were performed to detect enzymatic activity of some phosphatases and esterases. Karyo- and cytophotometric measurements of pyramidal cell nuclei in frontal and parietal cortex and of motor neurons in trigeminal nerve nucleus were performed in sections subjected to Feulgen reaction, using automatic microscopic image analyzer "Morphoquant" (VEB Carl Zeiss, Jena). The performed studies showed that administration of multiple therapeutic doses of BCNU lead to primary injury of vascular wall as oedema and proliferation of endothelium and small perivascular haemorrhages. The cytostatic drug induced a decrease in NsE and AlkP enzymatic activities, increased activity of AChE, ChE, AcP and ATPase and topographically variable changes in intensity of TPPase enzymatic reaction. Several karyo- and cytophotometric alterations were observed also in neurocyte cell nuclei which became elongated and acquired a more round shape. This was associated with a decrease in relative DNA content, loosening of nuclear chromatin structure and with shifting chromatin lumps toward periphery of cell nuclei.