Effects of high-LET particles (40A) on the brain of Drosophila melanogaster.
To investigate the effects of galactic heavy particles on nervous tissue, Drosophila melanogaster flies were exposed to 40A from the Super-HILAC accelerator at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. The energy of the particles reaching the Drosophila neurons was 4-8 MeV/nucleon, and the fluence ranged from 6 X 10(4) to 8 X 10(7) particles/cm2. Thirty-five days after irrdiation at the higher fluences, extensive tissue fragmentation and cysts were found. At fluences as low as one hit/two cell bodies (about 5 X 10(6)) and one hit/90 cell bodies (about 9 X 10(4) particles/cm2 or 21 rad average dose) swelling of neuronal cytoplasm and focally fragmented membranes were noted; at fluences ranging from one hit/six to one hit/135 cell bodies, there was frequently a marked increase in glial lamellae around nerve-cell processes, which often had degenerative features. These findings support the view that single hits by heavy particles may injure nervous tissue.
D000818:Animals; D001128:Argon; D001921:Brain / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000528:radiation effects; D003307:Copulation; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000528:radiation effects; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D008136:Longevity; D008297:Male; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000528:radiation effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000528:radiation effects; D011830:Radiation Effects
D001128:Argon