[Morphologic indices of the rat heart after colchicine application to the vagus nerve]. / Morfologicheskie pokazateli serdtsa krysy v usloviiakh applikatsii kolkhitsina na bluzhdaiushchii nerv.

By means of the light optic and electron microscopic methods atrial ganglia, myocytes, vessels of the right cardiac chambers have been studied in rats 2 days--3 weeks after application of 100 mcg of colchicine on the right nervus vagus. Certain changes of the neural fibers have been described at the area of the application. In the myocardium the microcirculatory bed, focal edema and hypoxic alterations of the myocyte ultrastructure have been revealed. In the ventrical ganglia destruction of some terminals of the preganglionar fibers, chromatolysis and vacuolization of single neurocytes, as well as intraganglionar granule-containing cells have been found. The changes described take place for 7 days and they nearly completely disappear in 10 days. A suggestion is made that some phenomena, in particular, destruction of the preganglionar fibers and changes of the cardiac microcirculatory bed are connected with certain disturbances of the quick transport of substances in the nervus vagus fibers.

[Method of applying colchicine to the rat vagus nerve for the purpose of selective action on axonal transport]. / Metod applikatsii kholkhitsina na bluzhdaiushchii nerv krysy s tsel'iu izbiratel'nogo vozdeistviia na aksonal'nyi transport.

A method of local application of colchicine deposited in a wax and paraffin alloy to the nerve is suggested. The doses of 25, 50, 75 and 100 micrograms were tested. Four days after application of 75 and 100 micrograms of colchicine, light microscopy demonstrated a non-uniform thickening of neurofibrils and the increase in their argyrophilic properties. Electron microscopy discovered the reduced number of microtubules, disordered arrangement of neurofilaments and accumulation of the latter ones beneath the neurolemma. The overall electric activity of the nerve was not disturbed. The method of colchicine application in vivo ensures the prolonged action of the drug without nerve compression or injury, thereby enabling one to assess consistently the sequels of the blockade of neurotrophic factors for metabolism of the innervated structures.