Delayed myelination of neonatal rat spinal cord induced by X‐irradiation

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Limited portions of spinal cords of 3-day-old rats were irradiated with 2000 R of soft X-rays. Litters containing both irradiated and control animals were killed from 11 through 33 days after irradiation in order to study radiation-induced delayed myelination. At 11 days postirradiatlon, hypomyelination and a decreased number of neuroglia were noted in the irradiated area. Beginning at 17 days, there was a slight but detectable increase in the amount of myelln and neuroglia. A rapid accumulation of these structures began at about 23 days after irradiation, and by 27 days some of the spinal cords appeared to be normal. During the 6 remaining days of the experimental period, all of the spinal cords became normal in appearance. These results show that at this age the spinal cord 1b able to recover from this radiation-induced injury. Some of the factors that were needed for this recovery are discussed.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: