Aurosome formation in articular tissues after parenteral administration of gold.

Intramuscular injection of sodium aurothiomalate (Myochrysine) produced lysosomes (aurosomes) of a characteristic morphology distinct and different from other lysosomes. The aurosome is characterised by particle and granulestudded electron-dense membranous formations which present as rod-like and curled structures. Intramuscularly injected sodium aurothiomalate in immature rabbits leads to the production of aurosomes in the articular cartilage chondrocytes and synovial intimal cells and subsynovial macrophages. In mature rabbits aurosomes develop only in the synovial intimal cells and subsynovial macrophages, but not in the chondrocytes.