Influence of protein synthesis inhibitors on neutral red-induced autophagocytosis in chicken pancreatic acinar cells.

Administration of neutral red to chicks resulted in an appearance of autophagic vacuoles in the pancreatic exocrine cells, containing mainly fragments of the endoplasmic reticulum, as well as Golgi elements, mitochondria and zymogen granules. The time course of the morphological changes was followed. The translational inhibitors cycloheximide and emetine did not induce injury, even they were equally found to exert a dose dependent, temporary, preventive effect against autophagocytosis induced by neutral red. This protection might be related to the capability of the drugs for stabilizing the polyribosomes and thereby preserving the structural integrity of the granular endoplasmic reticulum membrane.