Rats were injected intravenously with 10 mg/kg of adriamycin (doxorubicin). All the treated animals developed severe posterior limb ataxia on days 11 and 12 following the injection. Mild ataxia of the forelimbs was noted later. The animals were killed between days 10 and 50. Light microscopy revealed changes in ganglion cells of the peripheral nervous system with sparing of neurons in the central nervous system. In the spinal, paravertebral and trigeminal ganglia, necrosis of neurons was followed by mild lymphocytic infiltration, and ultimate loss of ganglion cells, and a marked proliferation of nerve sheath cells. Electron microscopic study revealed increased numbers of neurofilaments and the presence of membrane-bound cisterns in the affected dorsal root ganglion cell bodies. It is concluded that adriamycin, an important anticancer therapeutic agent, has neurotoxic properties and that it selectively damages the ganglia of the peripheral nervous system.
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