[Changes in the nucleoli of epithelial cells of the kidney tubules in mercuric chloride-induced experimental kidney tubular necrosis].

Electron-microscopic studies of epithelial cells of uric tubules in white rat kidneys after i.m. injections of mercury dichloride (0.4 mg/100 of body weight) given every 24, 48 and 72 hours showed the affected epithelial cells to have nonspecific changes in tubule ultrastructure, i.e. dissociation and segregation of tubule components as well as degranulation, fragmentation and hypertrophy. The dissociation of nucleolus components is followed by the damage of an essential part of cell mitochondrial apparatus and becomes irreversible. In some damaged cells degranulation is accompanied by the nucleolus decay into separate solid fragments formed of fibrous tissue. The enlargement of nucleolus fragments in the absence of proribosomes speaks in favour of the depression of proribosome formation process while the ability to synthesize p-RNA in comparatively slight.