title: [Studies on the injury effects of hippocampus induced by high power microwave radiation in rat].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the changes of morphology and function in rat hippocampus induced by high power microwave (HPM) radiation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty male Wistar rats were radiated by HPM. Then their learning and memory abilities were tested with Y maze and were sacrificed 6 h, 1 d, 3 d and 7 d after radiation. The hippocampus was taken out to study the basic pathologic changes, apoptosis and the expressions of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) by means of HE staining, Nissel body staining, in situ terminal end labeling and immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The learning and memory abilities of rats reduced significantly after HPM radiation. HPM also resulted in rarefaction, edema and hemangiectasia of hippocampus, nervous cells degeneration and necrosis, decrease or disappearance of Nissel bodies. The injuries were more serious in field CA4 and dentate gyrus, which showed dose-effect relationship, and were progressively aggravated within 7 days. The apoptosis cells were significantly increased. NSE was increased in neurons. The NSE positive areas were also seen in the interstitial matrix and blood vessels. GFAP was increased in astrocytes, which became shorter and thicker.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HPM can damage the abilities of learning and memory and results in morphologic changes in hippocampus. The major pathologic changes are degeneration, apoptosis and necrosis of neurons and edema in interstitium. NSE and GFAP play an important role in the pathologic process.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Rui-yun
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Ya-bing
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Shui-ming
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hao-yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: De-wen
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wen-hua
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Li-feng
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jun-jie
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Zhen-tao
authors.initials: ZT
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Tian-hao
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xiang-jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Guo-shan
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000528:radiation effects; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D007858:Learning / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008872:Microwaves / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase