Studies were done to see the effects of ionizing radiations to the head of experimental animals on the brain GABA, glutamic acid and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), which are all important in brain biochemistry. and on the brain and serum total free amin...
Studies were done to see the effects of ionizing radiations to the head of experimental animals on the brain GABA, glutamic acid and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), which are all important in brain biochemistry. and on the brain and serum total free amino acid nitrogen. Six, 24, 48, and 72 hours after a single dose of 6,000 or 10,000 R $^{60}Co$ gamma ray application to the head, with the body shielded, 3 rats for each group were sacrificed. and the brains rapidly removed; GABA and glutamic acid were determined paper chromatographically, the nucleic acids by Schmidt-Thannhauser's method, and total free amino acid nitrogen using the reaction with naphthoquinone sulfonic acid. The results obtained were as follows. 1. Except for rat group sacrificed at 72 hours after 10,000 R irradiation, in which only 3 out of 8 rats remained alive, all other animal groups survived through irradiations until time of sacrifice. 2. Throughout the experimental periods observed, marked elevation of serum free amino acid nitrogen was sustained by the irradiations, irrespective of doses used. 3. The brain total free amino acid nitrogen was discriminative in its response to the two irradiation doses used, Showing increase by 6,000 R and decrease by 10,000 R radiation, the deviation from the control being most marked at 6 hours postirradiations in both cases. 4. Brain DNA with 10,000 R decreased significantly at 6 hours postirradiation, recovering to the control level thereafter, except at 72 hours when marked drop occurred. With 6,000 R radiation brain DNA increased at 24 and 48 hours, tending to decline toward normal range at 72 hours after irradiation. Brain RNA showed the least fluctuation by the irradiation on the head, both with 6,000 and 10,000 R $^{60}Co$ gamma rays. 5. With both radiation doses the brain GABA and glutamic acid fluctuated much independently during the course of postirradiation periods observed, while the ratios of these two amino acids to the brain total free amino acids varied roughly in parallel to each other; thus the molar ratio of these two amino acids was kept relatively constant.