[Effect of anthracycline antibiotics on the morphology of the mouse small intestine]

The effect of daunomycin, carminomycin and doxorubicin on the small intestine was studied on mice morphologically and histologically. The toxic action of these antibiotics in maximum tolerance doses was estimated comparatively. It was shown that the anthracycline antibiotics induced hemodynamic disorders, suppression of the crypt epithelium proliferating activity, dystrophic and destructive lesions in the epithelial cells, a decrease in the number of the cells in the crypts and on the villi and development of a large number of pathological mytoses in the small intestine. Recovery of the population count of the small intestine epithelium was associated with an increase in the mytotic activity of the crypts. It was observed by the 7th day after administration of daunomycin or carminomycin, and by the 15th day after administration of doxorubicin. Comparative estimation of the toxic action of the anthracycline antibiotics on the small intestine by such parameters as the percentage of the pathological mytoses and the number of the cells in the crypts and on the villi indicated that the toxic action of doxorubicin was more pronounced as compared to that of carminomycin or daunomycin.