Fine structural changes in the rat brain after local injections of gliotoxin, alpha-aminoadipic acid.

Toxic effects of locally injected gliotoxin, L-alpha-aminoadipic acid, were examined in the adult rat brain at the fine structural level. Astrocytes were the only cell type in the corpus striatum that showed clear structural degeneration 1 to 3 days after the treatment. With a 7 day survival period, two major structural changes were detectable, including tremendous invasion of astrocytes and their processes, and an appearance of a large number of microglia around injection sites. Both the stereospecificity and cellular specificity were firmly established on the toxic effects of this chemical.