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The pyramidal neuron in cerebral cortex following prenatal X-irradiation

Journal Article · · Neurotoxicology (Park Forest South, Ill.); (United States)
OSTI ID:6527241
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Pregnant rats were subjected to whole body X-irradiation amounting to 125 R, on gestational day 15. Cortical pyramidal neurons were examined in irradiated and control offspring at 4 weeks and 4 to 6 months postnatally. All gestationally irradiated rats developed ectopic cortex located below the corpus callosum adjacent to the caudate nucleus in the forebrain. With the rapid Golgi stain, counts were made of dendritic spines on the apical dendrites of layer 5 pyramidal cells in the normally-located cortex and compared with similar neurons in the ectopias. Dendritic spines were present on all pyramidal cells but spines were more sparse on ectopic pyramidal cells. Electron microscopic examination of ectopic and layered cortex in irradiated rats showed axodendritic synapses on the spines and shafts of the dendrites and axosomatic synapses, all of which were indistinguishable morphologically from synapses in control cortex. As a result of the observations made with the light and electron microscopes, it is concluded that the ectopic cortex may contain functional cells in spite of the abnormal location of the tissue.

Research Organization:
Departments of Neurology, University of Kansas, Kansas City
OSTI ID:
6527241
Journal Information:
Neurotoxicology (Park Forest South, Ill.); (United States), Journal Name: Neurotoxicology (Park Forest South, Ill.); (United States) Vol. 3:1; ISSN NRTXD
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

550800 -- Morphology
560152* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Animals
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
BRAIN
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CEREBRAL CORTEX
CEREBRUM
DOSES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EXTERNAL IRRADIATION
FETUSES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
IRRADIATION
MAMMALS
MORPHOLOGY
NERVE CELLS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
ORGANS
PREGNANCY
PRENATAL EXPOSURE
PRENATAL IRRADIATION
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RATS
RODENTS
SOMATIC CELLS
VERTEBRATES
WHOLE-BODY IRRADIATION
X RADIATION