Bobrysheva I.V.
Changes in ultrastructure of the thymus of white rats after cyclophosphamide administration
Abstract. The main purpose of this research was to study the characteristics of the ultramicroscopic structure of the thymus of white male rats of the reproductive age period after the introduction of the immunosuppressive drug cyclophosphamide. Cyclophosphamide was administered in a dose leading to immunodepression (200 mg/kg of animal body weight). Animals were taken away from the experiment in 1, 7 and 30 days after drug injection. Thymic tissue for electron microscope study was processed by the standard technique.
Rats thymus was established to possess a high degree of reactivity in response to the administration of cyclophosphamide, which is manifested in the development of acute involution. The main factor of thymic hypoplasia in early terms of experimental immunosuppression is excessive apoptosis of thymocytes in the subcapsular and inner cortical areas of the thymic lobules, inhibition of cell proliferation as well as the development of destructive and dystrophic changes in the nuclei and cytoplasm of a number of thymocytes, resulting subsequently in cell necrosis. In 30 days after the administration of cyclophosphamide negative features in the ultramicroscopic structure of the thymus of experimental animals significantly level.
Key words: rats, thymus, cyclophosphamide.
