THE EFFECT OF CUPRIC, MANGANOUS, AND FERRIC CHLORIDES UPON CARDIAC EXPLANTS IN TISSUE CULTURE

¹ From the Department of Anatomy, Duke University School of Medicine

Throughout these experiments there were certain characteristic reactions in the mesenchymal cells growing in the various dilutions of the metallic chlorides used. The nuclear membrane and nucleoli were generally a little more sharply defined than in the cells of the controls. Accumulation of vacuoles, first about the nucleus and finally throughout the cytoplasm, took place rapidly in the toxic salt solutions. At times the cells were so thoroughly occupied by fatty looking vacuoles that they bulged, rounded up and floated away. Similar accumulations of vacuoles occurred in the controls but their appearance was gradual and they only assumed great numbers as the cultures aged.

Optimum dilutions of the metallic salts, in which a depression of the daily death rate and an increase in the life span of the cultures were noted, delayed the degenerative changes in the cells beyond the time when they usually made their appearance in the controls.

Of these solutions, cellular outgrowth was actually stimulated in that of copper chloride, the death rate was depressed in that of manganese chloride, as also in that of iron chloride. Furthermore, the life span was increased in the latter a significant number of days. This effect possibly may have been brought about indirectly as a result of histiocytic stimulation.

Tissues could be protected to some extent from the action of a fatal dose of these three metallic salts by first growing the cells in the respective optimum dilutions.

No beneficial effects were obtained by growing tissues in various combinations of the optimum dilutions of these salts.