Karyometric studies and quantitation of the DNA content in nerve and oligodendroglial cells after intraperitoneal administration of Vincristine.

Karyometric and cytophotometric investigations were conducted on nuclei of nerve cells of the Gyrus cinguli and on oligodendroglial nuclei of the corpus callosum following a 12-fold intraperitoneal injection of Vincristine into Wistar rats. The results of our investigations have shown a distinctly decreased content of DNA in neuronal nuclei of experimental rats along with a slightly increased content of DNA in glial cells. It is assumed that intraperitoneal administration of Vincristine does not inhibit the replication of DNA by oligodendroglial cells and that the observed reduction of DNA in neurocytes is the result of a disturbed turnover of DNA that is due to some damage of cytoplasmatic structures (rough endoplasmatic reticulum and microtubules) induced by the applied cytostatic compound.