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Liver Ultrastructural Pathology in Cocaine Users

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 July 2020

H.J. Finol ,
D.D. Mondragón ,
Y.M. González ,
C. Paradisi ,
N. González  and
A. Márquez
H.J. Finol
Affiliation:
Center for Electron Microscopy, Sciences Faculty, Central University of Venezuela, Apartado 47114, Caracas1041 A, Venezuela
D.D. Mondragón
Affiliation:
Toxicology Unit, Coche Peripheral Hospital, Caracas, Venezuela
Y.M. González
Affiliation:
Toxicology Unit, Coche Peripheral Hospital, Caracas, Venezuela
C. Paradisi
Affiliation:
Toxicology Unit, Coche Peripheral Hospital, Caracas, Venezuela
N. González
Affiliation:
Center for Electron Microscopy, Sciences Faculty, Central University of Venezuela, Apartado 47114, Caracas1041 A, Venezuela
A. Márquez
Affiliation:
Institute of Experimental Medicine, Medicine Faculty, Central University of Venezuela
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Extract

Although liver function tests could be abnormal in humans taking cocaine the histopathological basis for this disorder has not been well established. Light microscopic studies have shown the existence of peripheral, centrilobular or diffuse necrosis. The only electron microscopic investigation we could find reports hepatocyte alterations including dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum, hypertrophy of smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and existence of phagolysosomes. In this work we report the liver ultrastructural pathology in chronic cocaine users.

Liver biopsies were obtained in five male patients, 25-44 years old. These patients had consumed cocaine and other drugs (marihuana, alcohol, amphetamines, etc..) for 7-30 years. All of them had altered liver function tests. Tissue samples were processed with routine techniques for transmission electron microscopy and observed in a Hitachi H-500 electron microscope.

Abnormalities observed included those previously reported as swollen rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, presence of autophagic vacuoles and lipid deposition.

Type
Pathology
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 3 , Issue S2: Proceedings: Microscopy & Microanalysis '97, Microscopy Society of America 55th Annual Meeting, Microbeam Analysis Society 31st Annual Meeting, Histochemical Society 48th Annual Meeting, Cleveland, Ohio, August 10-14, 1997 , August 1997 , pp. 55 - 56
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 1997

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References

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4. This work was supported by grants from the CDCH of UCV (Nr. 03-003421/95) and CIFMUCV.Google Scholar