Dithiobiuret neurotoxicity: an ultrastructural investigation of the lesion in preterminal axons and motor endplates in the rat lumbrical muscle.

2,4-Dithiobiuret was given i.p. to rats for 4 days at a daily dosage of 1 mg/kg and the development of the lesion associated with neuromuscular dysfunction studied in hindlimb lumbrical muscles. The first morphological indication of neurointoxication was the appearance in some motor endplates of masses of branching tubular smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) on day 2 which correlated with the initial functional disturbances. By the 3rd day, most motor endplates were distended by accumulations of dense-cored, lucent and synaptic vesicles, abnormally swollen mitochondria, intermediate filaments and branching, tubular SER. Evidence of collateral axonal sprouting was seen first at this time. On days 4 and 5, many motor endplates were markedly enlarged and showed axoplasmic organelle congestion. A significant increase in synaptic vesicle size was noted at these times in some terminals. Interposition of Schwann cell processes between the pre- and postsynaptic membranes and terminal retraction was now evident. Some intramuscular nerves showed hydropic Schwann cell cytoplasm with separation of the outermost myelin lamellae, mitochondrial swelling and adaxonal vacuoles as early as the 1st day. Proliferation and segregation of SER around central cores of neurofilaments was seen in myelinated nerve fibres and preterminals on the 3rd day. At this and later times accumulations of SER and swollen mitochondria were found at sites of axonal varicosities and at the paranodal constrictions at nodes of Ranvier. These ultrastructural data are discussed with regard to reduced terminal Ca2+ content (demonstrated by oxalate-pyroantimonate cytochemistry) and compared with the sequelae of botulinum intoxication.