Electron microscopic study of effect of scopolamine butylbromide on bone marrow

18 Shanghai mice were divided into 3 groups: normal, 10 Gy whole-body irradiated alone, and irradiated and treated intermittently with scopolamine butylbromide (5 mg/kg, immediately, at hours 6, 24, 72, after irradiation). The bone marrow specimen were fixed with pentoaldehyde and stained by uranium-lead. The examination was conducted under EM400T transmission electron microscope. At hour 6 post-irradiation, granulocytopoiesis and erythropoiesis and release of their descendants into blood were noticeably increased. Niclei(mainly erythrocytic) and cytoplasma (granulocytic) showed degenerative changes. A number of megakaryocytes gathered around the broken sinus wall. There often occurred sinus wall collapse, hemorrhage and phagocytosis. All those changes were much less apparent in animals treated with the drug. The contrast between treated and untreated animals become pronounced at hour 24. More spared endothelium cells and intact sinus texture, islands of red blood cells and erythropoietic cells separated by folds or protrusions of endothelium or reticulocytes, fewer megakaryocytes, and fewer remains of destroyed cells, fiber and stroma, rendered a much more 'clean' marrow in treated animals than untreated. The cleanness remained at hour 72. By this time primary sinus cavity covered by endothelium of relatively normal texture and raticulocytes, active hematopoietic mitosis (as many as 6 mitosis within one field of view), and other signs of regeneration in treated animals high suggested effectiveness of scopolamine butylbromide in protecting against injury and improving the status of the bone marrow microcirculation