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Radiation‐induced morphologic changes in the rhesus monkey ( Macaca mulatta ) brain
Author(s) -
Price Roger E.,
Langford Lauren A.,
Jackson Edward F.,
Stephens L. Clifton,
Tinkey Peggy T.,
Ang K. Kian
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of medical primatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.31
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1600-0684
pISSN - 0047-2565
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0684.2001.300202.x
Subject(s) - microglia , pathology , central nervous system , gliosis , inflammation , medicine , edema , immunology
The right cerebral hemisphere of 24 rhesus monkeys scheduled for necropsy at the completion of another project were studied histopathologically 1–30 days after a single dose of 60 Co‐irradiation. Histopathologically, inflammation and gliosis consistently occurred at specific time points but varied in severity between individuals. Multifocal hemorrhage, edema, and an acute neutrophilic inflammatory response were observed initially whereas perivascular accumulations of lymphocytes were observed in specimens at the end of the study. Microglia/macrophages were most prominent during the first week after irradiation, whereas astrocytes were reactive throughout the observation period. The early clinical manifestations of the central nervous system (CNS), because of brain irradiation in humans, correspond temporally with acute vascular responses, acute and subacute inflammatory cell responses, and subacute demyelination and reactive astrocytic and microglial responses observed in the rhesus monkey. Initial responses of the CNS to gamma‐irradiation may have potential implications for the development of radiation‐induced late injury of the CNS.