In vitro effects of benzodiazepines on ciliogenesis in the quail oviduct

Immature oviduct implants from quails stimulated by estrogen to induce ciliogenesis were submitted to the in vitro action of benzodiazepines in organotypic culture. Diazepam and medazepam were added to the culture medium for 24 or 48 hours and tissues were examined by transmission and scanning electron microscopy for alterations in ciliary differentiation. Ciliogenesis was inhibited by both diazepam and medazepam, which affected mainly the migration of the basal bodies. Assembly of basal bodies was achieved normally in the cytoplasm, but their separation from generative complexes and migration toward the apical membrane were prevented. They remained in clusters around a deuterosome or eventually anchored to the close lateral plasma membrane. Furthermore, the drugs affected mature beating cilia, which then appeared lying tangentially to the cell surface. Relation between basal bodies and cortical cytoskeleton seemed to be altered by the drugs, which implies that the bearing of cilia and probably the ciliary beating movement were modified. Microvillus development was also altered by the action of these drugs.