The effect of transplacental intoxication with ethylnitrosourea on myelin proteins.

Pregnant mice at the 15th day of gestation were injected with a single intravenous dose of ENU/80 mg/kg of body weight). The protein composition of the myelin fraction isolated by means of differential centrifugation from brains of the offsprings was studied. The results obtained lead to the following conclusions: 1. The myelin protein spectrum of transplacentally intoxicated animals aged 40 days postnatal, shows decreased percentages of the Wolfgram protein and of the low molecular weight basic protein, whereas the proportions of the high molecular weight component of the myelin basic protein as well that of the Agrawal's protein are elevated. 2. The alterations in the profile of myelin proteins obtained from experimental mice aged 70 days postnatal are less severe and consist in a decline of the percentage of Wolfgrams protein and elevation of the Agrawal's protein content. 3. The intraplacental intoxication of mouse fetuses leads to development of animals defective with respect to the protein composition of the central myelin.