Effects of Ionizing Radiation and Aluminum Chloride on Protein of Glial Intermediate Filaments in the Rat Brain

We studied the effects of irradiation with X-rays (the total dose of 0.0129 C/kg was attained over 7, 14, or 21 days), increased entry of Al³⁺ into the organism (0.2% AlCl₃ in drinking water), and the combined influence of these factors for 21 days on the contents of the soluble and filamentous forms of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the tissues of the hippocampus, cerebellum, and neocortex of albino rats. After irradiation for 7 days, a clear trend toward drops in the GFAP contents in the structures under study was observed, while irradiation in the same dose, but for 14 or 21 days, resulted in increases in the contents of both GFAP forms (within a range of 13-29%, as compared with the control). Entry of aluminum chloride with water also resulted in an increase in the GFAP contents in all studied structures; changes in the filamentous form were more intensive. The combined influence of irradiation and Al³⁺ resulted in more intensive shifts in the GFAP levels; the content of its filamentous form increased in all structures by about 50%, while shifts of the soluble form were somewhat smaller.