Localization of exogenous silver in brain and spinal cord of silver exposed rats

Exogenous silver in brain and spinal cord sections from rats treated with Protargol, silver lactate or silver nitrate was visualized by physical development. The silver penetrated the blood-brain barrier and accumulated in neurones and glia. The distribution of silver in the CNS was heterogeneous. Even with low doses and short survival periods, silver was found to accumulate in large motoneurones in the brain stem and spinal cord and neurones in the cerebellar nuclei. Silver was only found in di- and telencephalic structures after extensive exposure. Silver distribution following oral silver lactate and silver nitrate treatment differed in that silver nitrate resulted in a relatively high content of silver in glia whereas deposition occurred preferentially in neurones following silver lactate treatment. Electron-microscopical studies showed that silver was located intracellularly in the lysosomes and extracellularly in basement membranes and elastic fibres of the vessels.