Fine structural changes in embryonic chick heart ventricle induced by lead poisoning.

The embryonic chick heart ventricle of day 11 was studied electron microscopically to learn the structural changes that develop in lead poisoning. The chick embryos were administered with 0.015 mg/egg of lead acetate at day 2. The most pronounced changes observed in the ventricle were: malformed mitochondria, disorganized, short and scanty myofibrils and abundance of swollen vacuoles. The ultrastructure of the ventricle from the control chick embryos was normal. The most frequent change noted in the ventricular tissue was an alteration in the myofibrils. This study indicates that electron microscopic changes can be induced in the embryonic chick heart ventricle by lead poisoning.