Nuclear Changes Following Intravenous Injection of Various Solutions. ∗

Abstract

Opinions differ as to whether intranuclear inclusions are pathognomonic of virus diseases. Thus, Cole and Kuttner 1 expressed the view that when typical intranuclear inclusions are found, the presence of a filterable virus is to be assumed unless its absence can be proved experimentally, while Cowdry 2 stated that the presence of intranuclear inclusions should not be taken at face value as indicating the action of some filterable virus. Cowdry 3 also entertained the possibility that the inclusions may be produced artificially without viruses. Heinbecker and O'Leary 4 described the appearance of bodies simulating intranuclear inclusions in nerve cells after electrical stimulation 5 and Davenport, Ranson and Terwilliger 6 produced similar structures by immersion of ganglia in hypertonic salt solutions.

Cats were injected through the femoral vein, under ether anesthesia, with glucose, sodium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, distilled water, or Salyrgan. At various intervals following the injections, the animals were killed by exsanguination, and material was fixed in Zenker's fluid containing 5% acetic acid, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin, erythrosin and azur I.

(a) Glucose. When 60 cc. of 50% glucose per kilo of body weight was injected slowly during 1 hour and the animal killed immediately, marked changes were observed in the nuclei of spinal ganglion, anterior horn and Purkinje cells. The nuclear chromatin, dispersed in reticular fashion in the cells of normal controls, formed a compact mass about the nucleolus and was separated from the nuclear membrane by a halo. The nucleolus was noticeably vacuolated and swollen. The only cytoplasmic alteration noted was in the spinal ganglion cells; here a varying degree of central chromatolysis was apparent. When animals of like weight were killed 3 hours after the injection of a similar quantity of glucose, the nuclear change was much less obvious, indicating a return to normal.