Cytoplasmic changes in satellite cells of spinal ganglia induced by cisplatin treatment in rats

The effects of cisplatin (cis-DDP) therapeutic treatment on the cytoplasmic compartment of satellite cells (SC) of rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were evaluated. Female Wistar rats were treated once a week with i.p. injection of cis-DDP (2 mg/kg) for 9 weeks. Morpho-quantitative changes of the cytoplasmatic organelles in SC cytoplasm from L4-L6 DRG were determined at the electron microscopic level. The quantitative changes in the lysosomal system components called dense bodies (DB) and in the mithocondria were stereologically evaluated. The data from SC were compared to those from the neurons. The cis-DDP treatment induced a great increase in DB and mithocondria volume of SC. Furthermore, the SC sheath showed an increase of the cytoplasmic lamellar expansions responsible of the physical dissociation of SC sheath from the nerve cell body surface. The comparative analysis from SC and neurons showed that the drug affected primarily the SC, supporting the idea that SC could be the initial target of cis-DDP molecule. The alterations of the anatomical relationships between SC and neurons could modify the cell control on extracellular solutions, altering the functional role barrier attributed to SC. It appears that not only the DRG neurons but also and principally the SC were involved in the peripheral neuropathy mechanisms caused typically from therapeutic cis-DDP administration.