Vincristine sulfate, one of the Vinca alkaloids has been used clinically as an antitumor reagent. Vincristine sulfate has high affinity to the basic protein subunit of microtubules, that it disrupts the mitotic spindle apparatus. As a result this reagent causes the cell to arrest in metaphase and to die finally. When vincristine was spread on the skin it would damage the growth of the hair, that the author undertook the present study to observe the effect of vincristine on the cytoplasmic organelles of the hair follicular cells.
Male albino mouse, DDY strain, weighing 20gm were used as an experimental animals. The back skin of experimental animals were spread with a vincristine sulfate solution(1㎎/5㎖) once a day for 6 days after cutting of the hair. The experimental animals were sacrificed at 2 day, 4 day, and 6 day after first treatment and specimens obtained from the skin of the vincristine treated area. The specimens were prefixed in 2% glutaraldehyde-2.5% paraformaldehyde solution and postfixed in 1% osmium tetroxide solution and then ultrathin sections, 600-800A, were made stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. Some specimens were also fixed in 10% formalin for hematoxylin eosin stain. The specimens were observed with light microscopy and JEM 100cx-Ⅱ electron microscopy.
The results were as follows.
1. Hair follicles were decreased numerously in the skin of the 4th and 6th vincristine treated group. And the length of the hair was reduced in the skin of the 6th vincristine treated group.
2. In the 2nd vincristine treated group, irregularly shaped nuclei, reduced heterochromatin and numerous vacuoles were observed in the external root sheath cells. In cells of the inner root sheath, heterochromatin was segregated and clumpped, and cristae of mitochondria was disappeared.
3. In the 4th vincristine treated group, dilatation of cisternae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum, degenerated mitochondria were observed in the external root sheath cells. And trichohyaline granules were reduced and condensed nuclei were observed in the cells of the Henley´s layer.
4. In the 6th vincristine treated group, cuticle cells were more keratinized. And in the external root sheath cells, columnar shaped nuclei, degerenative mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum, and decreased cisternae of Golgi apparatus were observed.
Consequently, it is suggested that vincristine sulfute would induce the degenerative changes in the hair follicular cells.
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