Karyometry and cytophotometry of oligodendroglial DNA in the corpus callosum of rats treated with vicristine during the second part of foetal life.

The effect of transplacentally administered vincristinee on postnatal developmental events occurring in the oligodendroglial cell nuclei of the corpus callosum were studied by means of an automatic analyzer of microscopic pictures "Morphoquant" (VEB Carl Zeiss Jena, GDR). Karyometric and cytophotometrically determined developmental changes of the DNA content were studied in both, the vincristine treated and control rats aged 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. vincristine was administered to pregnant rats four times during the second term of gestation, the single dose containing 0.01 mg of Vincristin per kg of body weight. In the Vincristin treated animals we have found an advanced developmental increase of the perimeter, the surface and convexion areas of oligodendroglial cell nuclei as well as statistically significant differences of parameters characterizing the nuclear shape. In comparison with control animals, the intoxicated ones demonstrated a higher DNA content in oligodendroglial cell nuclei both during the premyelinating (7 days postnatal) and during the early stage of myelination (14 and 21 days postnatal).