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Postradiation regional cerebral blood flow in primates
Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine
|June 1, 1986
Summary
High-dose radiation exposure in primates caused significant drops in brain blood flow and blood pressure, alongside a massive histamine release. These effects may explain radiation-induced incapacitation and performance deficits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Radiation Biology
- Physiology
Background:
- Early transient incapacitation (ETI) and performance decrement (PD) are observed after radiation exposure.
- Radiation can decrease cerebral blood flow, cause hypotension, and trigger histamine release.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanisms behind radiation-induced ETI/PD.
- To understand the causes of postradiation cerebral blood flow reduction.
Main Methods:
- Primates received 100 Gy whole-body gamma radiation.
- Measured pontine and cortical blood flow using hydrogen clearance.
- Monitored systemic blood pressure and arterial histamine levels.
Main Results:
- Radiation decreased motor cortex blood flow by 63% and pons blood flow by 51% within 10 minutes.
- Systemic blood pressure dropped by 67% immediately post-radiation.
- Histamine levels increased 100-fold within 2 minutes.
Conclusions:
- Radiation exposure leads to decreased regional cerebral blood flow and hypotension.
- These physiological changes are temporally associated with histamine release.
- Histamine release may play a role in radiation-induced neurological effects.