Fig. 9

Cytokinetic and nuclear morphology changes induced by vinblastine. Typical microfluorometric analyses of the DNA cellular content (a, b) and Hoechst 33342 fluorescence micrographs (c, d, e, f) after VBL incubation in PEG-untreated cells (a, c, e) and PEG-treated cells (b, d, f). Insert a1 in a and insert b1 in b represent microfluorometric measurements in the absence of vinblastine. Insert a2 in a1 represents a microfluorometric measurement in NIH/3T3 cell line before serum starvation; the first peak (3c–4c DNA content) in the abscissa axis of microfluorimetric histogram was arbitrarily indicated as 2c. In c and d, microscopic fields particularly rich in 4–8c aggregates of chromosomal structures (circles in c and d), as a consequence of the mitosis blockade, can be observed. In e and f, nuclear events characterized by large micronuclei of heterogeneous dimensions (circles in e and arrow in f) are reported. The arrow in e indicates chromosomal structures. Scale bars in b and c: 10 µm; in e and f: 5 µm