title: Affinity of intramitochondrial granules for ruthenium red accompanying induced cell death in chick embryos.
abstract: To test the hypothesis that ruthenium red binding of intramitochondrial granules might reflect an altered or pathological state of membranes associated with degeneration, embryos were treated with 6-AN to induce cell death in cartilaginous skeletons of chick embryos. Cervical cartilage from normal, 6-AN-treated and nicotinamide-alleviated 6-AN embryos was examined ultrastructurally for presence of IM RR-positive granules. Mitochondria of normal cervical chondroblasts which undergo normal phenotypic expression acquire RR-positive granules, although few mature cells are observed in young embryos. Necrotic chondroblasts, chondroblasts in various stages of degeneration, and proliferating chondrogenic cells of 6-AN-treated embryos all demonstrated induced RR-positive IM granules. Foci of degenerating chondroblasts, with mitochondria demonstrating RR granules, were observed infrequently in teratogen-alleviated tissue. The cytological features induced by 6-AN confirm its lethal effect and the degenerative effect on membranes presumably "unmasks" mitochondrial Ca-affinity sites which then become RR-positive. Cytochemical observations correspond with the biochemical and structural changes induced by 6-AN and confirm the hypothesis that RR-positive sites are the result of pathological changes.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002356:Cartilage / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002470:Cell Survival; D002642:Chick Embryo; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D012428:Ruthenium / Q000378:metabolism*; D012430:Ruthenium Red / Q000378:metabolism*; D013723:Teratogens
chemical_list: D011725:Pyridines; D013723:Teratogens; D012430:Ruthenium Red; D012428:Ruthenium