Recurrent decreases of erythrocyte electrophoretic mobility in rats exposed to 1.0 R whole-body X-radiation

Circulating erythrocytes from rats were examined up to 30 weeks post whole-body exposures of 1.0 R for alterations in the expression of net negative surface charge as measured by whole-cell microelectrophoresis in saline sorbitol. Erythrocyte electrophoretic mobility was determined in an apparatus composed of a horizontal transilluminated cylindrical chamber, equipped with a reversible, blacked platinum electrode, immersed in a water bath maintained at 25.0±0.1°C (Rank Brothers). In two separate experiments, recurrent decreases in the expression of net negative surface charge occurred at 10, 17, and 30 weeks post-irradiation. At these times distribution analyses of recorded erythrocyte electrophoretic mobility (EEPM) values revealed a skewing of the normally distributed EEPM population values to lower EEPM. Total sialic acid content released from hydrolyzed erythrocyte membrane preparations revealed no significant differences between erythrocytes from sham and irradiated animals. In vivo post-irradiation labeling of erythrocytes with diisopropyl-[³²P] phosphorofluoridate at 4 and 33 weeks (separate experiments) indicated only a minor abbreviated erythrocyte life span at 33 weeks. Therefore, effects from low dose (1.0 R) whole-body irradiation would appear to include a recurrent defect in the expression of the net negative surface charge.     

The effects of x-radiation on Taenia pisiformis.

Following the exposure of eggs of T. pisiformis to X-radiation at doses of 10,000, 20,000 and 30,000 rads, hatching and activation in vitro were unaffected. Growth of larvae both in vitro and in vivo was reduced and many irradiated larvae were overcome by the host inflammatory reaction during intra-hepatic development. A negative correlation was established between the log₁₀ number of cysticerci in the abdominal cavities of rabbits 42 days after infection and the radiation dose. Significant abnormalities were induced in the morphology of rostellar hooks of cysticerci following irradiation of eggs although adult cestodes which developed from cysticerci derived from irradiated eggs were normal. Cysticerci exposed to 5000 and 10,000 rads of X-radiation developed to adult worms when fed to dogs but abnormalities were found, principally in the testes, ovaries and vitellaria; segmentation and the genital ducts were affected to a lesser extent.     

Hepatic iron content corresponds with the susceptibility of lymphocytes to oxidative stress in neonatal pigs

The pig is born with limited iron supplies. If not supplemented, piglets dramatically loose their body iron stores during the first few days of postnatal life. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of hepatic iron content on susceptibility of blood cells to oxidative stress. Four 1-day-old and three 7-days-old animals were used in this study. The alkaline version of the comet assay was used to measure DNA damage. As expected, iron body stores of non-supplemented animals decrease significantly during the first 4 days of life. However, no difference in background DNA damage was found between untreated lymphocytes from these two groups of animals, despite the difference in their hepatic iron content. Interestingly, DNA damage induced by H₂O₂ and X-radiation in lymphocytes taken from 1-day-old piglets was significantly higher than in those taken from 7-days-old animals. In contrast, NaOCl or tert-butyl-hydroxide also induced significant amounts of DNA damage, but no differences between the two groups of piglets were found. Our data show that decreased hepatic iron content corresponds with decreased susceptibility of blood lymphocytes to oxidative stressors.     

Statistical modeling of ultrastructural features of murine dermal collagen under chronic low-dose whole body X-irradiation

The present study investigated the changes in ultrastructural features of dermal collagen fibrils of mice following exposure to different cumulative chronic low-dose X-irradiation through digital image analysis-based statistical modeling. Pubertal mice were X-irradiated and dorsal skin biopsies were collected and processed for transmission electron microscopic (TEM) analysis. TEM features of collagen fibrils showed alteration in the cross-sectional area, population density and in the axial periodic pattern of light and dark bands. The mathematical analysis of histogram data from TEM images revealed some adaptive behavior in collagen structures of the X-irradiated group. This finding indicated that exposure to chronic low-dose X-radiation induced an altered steady state with adaptive variation in dermal collagen fibrils in irradiated mice.     

Translocations induced by fast neutrons and X-rays in Delia antiqua

Summary A comparison was made using X-rays and fast neutrons for the induction of translocations in Delia antiqua. Using the same radiation dose, no difference in efficiency between the two radiation types could be observed. However, with fast neutrons many multiple translocations were induced, including a quadruple translocation involving 4 out of 5 autosomes. One male linked translocation was also induced.The reciprocal translocations were assigned into two classes: symmetrical and asymmetrical, and ten of the latter were chosen for inbreeding to produce homozygotes. Asymmetrical exchanges were chosen so that translocation homozygotes could be differentiated cytologically from the normal karyotype. In seven different translocations, homozygous larvae were observed, but often at a low frequency. In four of these lines, viable adult homozygotes were observed. Subsequent random sib-crossing failed to produce a homozygous line.