Comparison of functional and morphological deficits in the rat after gestational exposure to ionizing radiation
Ionizing radiation is a precise tool for altering formation of the developing cerebral cortex of the fetal rat. Whole body exposure of the pregnant rat on gestational day 13, 15 or 17 to 1.0 Gy of gamma radiation resulted in maximum thinning of the cortex on days 15 and 17. In the preweaning period, functional tests (negative geotaxis, reflex suspension, continuous corridor and gait) were most affected by irradiation gestational day 15, as was body weight. When a lower dose of radiation (0.75 Gy) was used on gestational day 15, the damage to the cortex was much less but behavioral changes were still present. Frontal, parietal and occipital areas of the cortex were approximately equally affected. Using stepwise multiple regression analysis, the linkage of functional tests and cortical thickness was examined. Functional variables which were most commonly included as predictors of frontal and parietal cortex were negative geotaxis and continuous corridor. Occipital cortical layers were not predicted by behavioral variables. In predicting function using cortical variables, frontal cortex was better than parietal and occipital cortex was the poorest predictor.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6171187
- Journal Information:
- Neurotoxicol. Teratol.; (United States), Vol. 10:4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CEREBRAL CORTEX
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BEHAVIOR
BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
GAMMA RADIATION
MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PREGNANCY
PRENATAL EXPOSURE
RATS
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BODY
BRAIN
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CEREBRUM
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FUNCTIONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MAMMALS
MATHEMATICS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
ORGANS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RODENTS
STATISTICS
VERTEBRATES
560152* - Radiation Effects on Animals- Animals