Summary
A comparison was made between the effects of gamma radiation on the elasmobranch and the mammalian brain. Thirty-seven nurse sharks (ginglymostoma cirratum) received a single exposure, in a range of 1 000 to 30 000 rads, to the brain. The animals remained seemingly unaffected in their behavior and at their sacrifice, between one day and 28 months after irradiation, no histological changes could be detected with the exception of one shark (exposed to 30 000 and sacrificed after 12 months) which showed two small necrotic lesions in the tegmentum. No detectable difference in amount and distribution of glycogen in the brain could be demonstrated between irradiated and non-irradiated sharks. Also, the irradiated sharks showed no changes of the blood-brain barrier to protein tracer.
Rats irradiated with 25 000 to 30 000 rads to the brain from the same source died shortly after exposure or showed extensive necrotic lesions in the brain. These was also an intense accumulation of glycogen mostly in the astrocytes and a widespread disturbance of the bloodbrain barrier to Evans Blue-albumin tracer.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bodenheimer, T. S., Brightman, M. W.: A blood-brain barrier to peroxidase in capillaries surrounded by perivascular spaces. Amer. J. Anat.122, 249–263 (1968).
Brightman, M. W., Reese, T. S.: Junctions between intimately apposed cell membranes in the vertebrate brain. J. Cell Biol.40, 648–677 (1969).
——, Olsson, Y., Klatzo, I.: Morphologic aspects of the blood-brain barrier to peroxidase in elasmobranches. In: H. M. Zimmerman, ed.: Progress in neuropathology, Vol. 1, pp. 146–161. New York-London: Grune and Stratton 1971.
Brown, D. G., Sasmore, D. P., Jones, L. P.: Acute central nervous system syndrome of Burros. In: T. J. Haley and R. S. Snider, eds.: Response of the nervous system to ionizing radiation, pp. 503–511. New York-London: Academic Press 1962.
Brown, W. L., McDowell, A. A.: Some effects of radiation on psychologic processes in rhesus monkeys. In: T. J. Haley and R. S. Snider, eds.: Response of the nervous system to ionizing radiation, pp. 729–746. New York-London: Academic Press 1962.
Clemente, C. D., Holst, E. A.: Pathological changes in neurons, glia and blood-brain barrier induced by X-radiation of the heads of monkeys. Arch. Neurol. Psychiat. (Chic.)71, 66–80 (1954).
Davison, C., Ellinger, F.: Radiation effects on nervous system and Roentgen pigmentation of goldfish (Carassius auratus). Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. (N.Y.)49, 491–495 (1942).
Dyke, D. C. van, Janssen, P., Tobias, C. A.: Fluorescein as a sensitive, semiquantitative indicator of injury following alpha particle irradiation of the brain. In: T. J. Haley and R. S. Snider, eds.: Response of the nervous system to ionizing radiation, pp. 369–382. New York-London: Academic Press 1962.
Farkas-Bargeton, E., Olsson, Y., Guth, L., Klatzo, I.: Glycogen reaction to cerebral stab wound during maturation of rat brain. Acta neuropath. (Berl.), in press (1972).
Guth, L., Watson P.: A correlated histochemical and quantitative study on cerebral glycogen after brain injury in the rat. Exp. Neurol.22, 590–602 (1968).
Klatzo, I.: Cellular morphology of the lemon shark brain. In: P. W. Gilbert, R. F. Matheson, and D. P. Rall, eds.: Sharks, skates and rays, pp. 341–360. Baltimore: John Hopkins Press 1967.
—, Miquel, J., Otenasek, R.: The application of fluorescein labeled serum proteins (FLSP) to the study of vascular permeability in the brain. Acta neuropath. (Berl.)2, 144–160 (1962).
——, Tobias, C., Haymaker, W.: Effects of alpha particle radiation on the brain, including vascular permeability and glycogen studies. J. Neuropath. exp. Neurol.20, 459–469 (1961).
—, Steinwall, O.: Observations on cerebrospinal fluid pathways and behaviour of the bloodbrain barrier in the sharks. Acta neuropath. (Berl.)5, 161–175 (1965).
Larsson, B.: Blood vessel changes following local irradiation of the brain with high energy protons. Acta Soc. Med. uppsalien.65, 61–78 (1960).
Long, D. M., Bodenheimer, T. S., Hartmann, J. F., Klatzo, I.: Ultrastructural features of the shark brain. Amer. J. Anat.122, 209–236 (1968).
Maxwell, D. S., Krüger, L.: The fine structure of astrocytes in the cerebral cortex and their response to focal injury produced by heavy ionizing particles. J. Cell Biol.25, 141–157 (1965).
Miquel, J., Klatzo, I., Menzel, D. P., Haymaker, W.: Glycogen changes in X-radiated rat brain. Acta neuropath. (Berl.)2, 482–490 (1963).
Reese, T. S., Karnovsky, M. J.: Fine structural localization of a blood-brain barrier to exogenous peroxidase. J. Cell Biol.34, 207–217 (1967).
Zeman, W.: The effects of atomic radiation. In: J. Michler, ed.: Pathology of the nervous system, pp. 864–939. New York-Toronto-Sydney-London: McGraw-Hill Book Co. 1968.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Olsson, Y., Carsten, A.L. & Klatzo, I. Effects of gamma radiation on the shark brain. Acta Neuropathol 21, 1–10 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687995
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687995