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Brain signaling and behavioral responses induced by exposure to (56)Fe-particle radiationPrevious experiments have demonstrated that exposure to 56Fe-particle irradiation (1.5 Gy, 1 GeV) produced aging-like accelerations in neuronal and behavioral deficits. Astronauts on long-term space flights will be exposed to similar heavy-particle radiations that might have similar deleterious effects on neuronal signaling and cognitive behavior. Therefore, the present study evaluated whether radiation-induced spatial learning and memory behavioral deficits are associated with region-specific brain signaling deficits by measuring signaling molecules previously found to be essential for behavior [pre-synaptic vesicle proteins, synaptobrevin and synaptophysin, and protein kinases, calcium-dependent PRKCs (also known as PKCs) and PRKA (PRKA RIIbeta)]. The results demonstrated a significant radiation-induced increase in reference memory errors. The increases in reference memory errors were significantly negatively correlated with striatal synaptobrevin and frontal cortical synaptophysin expression. Both synaptophysin and synaptobrevin are synaptic vesicle proteins that are important in cognition. Striatal PRKA, a memory signaling molecule, was also significantly negatively correlated with reference memory errors. Overall, our findings suggest that radiation-induced pre-synaptic facilitation may contribute to some previously reported radiation-induced decrease in striatal dopamine release and for the disruption of the central dopaminergic system integrity and dopamine-mediated behavior.
Document ID
20040087961
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Denisova, N. A.
(Jean Mayer United States Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University Boston, Massachusetts 02111, United States)
Shukitt-Hale, B.
Rabin, B. M.
Joseph, J. A.
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
December 1, 2002
Publication Information
Publication: Radiation research
Volume: 158
Issue: 6
ISSN: 0033-7587
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
NASA Discipline Radiation Health
Non-NASA Center

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