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A STUDY OF NEUROLOGICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES FOLLOWING X IRRADIATION OF SPINAL CORDS OF NEONATAL RATS

Journal Article · · Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society (U.S.)
OSTI ID:4057708
An experiment was designed to evaluate neurological alterations induced by x irradiation of spinal cords of neonatal rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain. Rats, one to 21 days of age, received 4430 r (single dose) of 50-kvp x rays to a 50 mm/sup 2/ area of the back overlaying the caudal portion of the spinal cord. These animals were observed for several months with neurologic examinations being given first at daily and later at weekly intervals. The principal alteration noted in those irradiated when 1 to 5 days of age was bilateral paralysis of the hindlimbs. Those irradiated at 10 or 15 days showed markedly less severe alterntions; those irradiated at 21 days manifested no neurologic changes. Not only the severity of neurologic changes decreased with increased age at time of irradiation but also the number showing neurologic changes decreased with increasing age. Conversely, the time between irradiation and the onset of neurologic changes increased with increasing age. Since it was found that animals irradiated at 1 to 5 days of age showed neurologic changes at 9 to 11 days postirradiation, an experiment was designed to study morphologic changes occurring during this 9 to 11-day period. Three-day-old rats were irradiated, as described above, and killed at intervals up to 11 days postirradiation. The spinal cords submitted to microscopic examination revealed a marked decrease in neuroglial cells within and limited to the irradiated area. Myelin stains showed amyelination or hypomyelination confined to the irradiated area. On the other hand, no extensive alterations were noted in neurons. (BBB)
Research Organization:
Univ. of Arkansas, Little Rock
NSA Number:
NSA-18-017528
OSTI ID:
4057708
Journal Information:
Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society (U.S.), Journal Name: Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society (U.S.) Vol. Vol: 59; ISSN JAMSA
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
English

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