Age-dependent effect of long-term microwave radiation on postnatal neurogenesis in rats: morphological and behavioral study.

摘要

Processes of adult neurogenesis can be influenced byenvironmental factors. Here, we investigated the effect ofmicrowave radiation (MWR) on proliferation and cell dying in therat rostral migratory stream (RMS) – a migration route for theneuroblasts of the subventricular zone. Adult and juvenile (twoweeks old) rats were exposed to a pulsed-wave MWR at thefrequency of 2.45 GHz for 1 or 3 h daily during 3 weeks. Adult ratswere divided into two groups: without survival and with two weekssurvival after irradiation. Juvenile rats survived till adulthood, whenwere tested in the light/dark test. Proliferating cells in the RMSwere labeled by Ki-67; dying cells were visualized by Fluoro-Jade Chistochemistry. In both groups of rats irradiated as adults we haveobserved significant decrease of the number of dividing cells withinthe RMS. Exposure of juvenile rats to MWR induced only slightdecrease in proliferation, however, it strikingly affected cell deatheven two months following irradiation. In addition, these ratsdisplayed locomotor hyperactivity and decreased risk assessment inadulthood. Our results suggest that the long-lasting influence ofradiation is manifested by affected cell survival and changes inanimals′ behavior.