The protective effects of vitamin E against microcephaly in rats X-irradiated in utero: dendritic branches

Fetuses from rats given either water or 0.03% dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate (vitamin E) as the drinking fluid and X-irradiated with 100R on gestational day (gd) 13 were examined on gd 21. The degree of dendritic branching of frontal cerebral neurons, examined after Golgi staining, was significantly reduced by X-irradiation, and supplementation of vitamin E caused increased branching order numbers in irradiated fetuses. This study provides evidence of the protection by vitamin E of neuronal development in X-irradiated fetuses.