Brain-derived neurotrophic factor does not prevent ionizing radiation-induced apoptosis in the developing rat brain

In an attempt to learn whether brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is able to protect neural cells from ionizing radiation-induced apoptosis in t he developing brain, BDNF-transfected (F3N-BDNF) and mock-transfected (F3A MT) fibroblasts were grafted into the right germinal periventricular zone o f rats at postnatal day 1 (P1). The rats were later irradiated at P3 with a single dose (2 Gy whole body irradiation) of gamma rays. Age-matched non-i rradiated and non-grafted irradiated rats at P3 were used as controls. No d ifferences in the number of apoptotic cells were observed between the ipsil ateral and contralateral side of either F3N-BDNF- or F3A-MT-grafted irradia ted rats Furthermore, counts of apoptotic cells were similar in non-grafted irradiated and grafted irradiated rats. These results show that BDNF has n o capacity to prevent ionizing radiation-induced apoptosis in the developin g rat brain. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.