Vacuolation of Sensory Ganglion Neuron Cytoplasm in Rats with Long-term Exposure to Organophosphates

Abstract

Cytoplasmic vacuolation of sensory neurons has been reported to occur within the dorsal root ganglia in studies investigating various neuropathic conditions including the effects of neurotoxic chemicals. In this study, we investigated this lesion in adult (98-119 days old) male Long-Evans rats, after multiple exposures to two organophosphates (tri-ortho-tolyl phosphate [TOTP] and chlorpyrifos) and the modifying effects of concurrent corticosterone. Tri-ortho-tolyl phosphate was administered by gavage (75, 150, or 300 mg/kg) every other day between days 14 and 28 and between days 49 and 63, chlorpyrifos (60 mg/kg) was administered subcutaneously on days 7 and 42, and corticosterone was provided in the drinking water throughout the study at a concentration of 400 microg/mL. Although relatively uncommon, there was an increase in frequency of cytoplasmic vacuoles seen in treatment groups having multiple exposures to TOTP. They were characterized as peripherally located, single-limiting membrane-bound structures in the neuronal perikarya. There was no associated cell death, even when vacuoles were large. This is the initial report of an association of this change following exposure to neurotoxic organophosphates.

Digital light microscopy as a tool in toxicological evaluation of fish erythrocyte morphological abnormalities

“…Another frequent cellular abnormality found in C. carassius was the presence of cytoplasmic vacuolation. This is a well-known morphological phenomenon observed in mammalian and nonmammalian cells (Bhattacharjee, Giri, & Gomes, 2011;Rogers-Cotrone et al, 2010). Often this phenomenon happens spontaneously as an adaptive physiological response and as a common feature that accompanies cell death (apoptosis) caused by ischemia stress, osmolar stress, or from natural toxins as heavy metals or drugs (Aliko, Morina, & Sula, 2015;Araki, Matsuhiko, & Saruta, 2006;Sawhney & Johal, 2000 inhabiting Seferani Lake, which provides a useful index of accumulated genetic damage and physiological response to the complex mixture of contaminants measured in the lake.…”

Cytoplasmic vacuolization in cell death and survival

“…Clearly, the vacuoles are formed in different cellular compartments by different mechanisms. To date, the capacity to induce irreversible cytoplasmic vacuolization has been shown for a variety of natural and synthetic compounds of different chemical structure including medical drugs and industrial pollutants [13–20]. In addition, irreversible vacuolization is observed in cells infected by a multitude of bacterial and viral agents of serious human and animal diseases.…”

Ganglionitis and Genetic Cardiac Arrhythmias

“…6 Vacuolation of ganglion cells has been described in several instances from toxic exposure, to trauma, to aging and is considered nonspecific. 10,11 It should be noted that stellate and thoracic ganglia are not routinely examined in postmortem examination by pathologists, so there is a paucity of available data on the histological findings in these tissues among patients who die suddenly from cardiac arrhythmias. It might be useful to examine ganglia from patients who die in clinical settings involving multiple electric shocks or syncopal episodes unrelated to congenital arrhythmia to sort out the secondary versus primary nature of the histopathologic findings observed in these ganglia.…”