Altered nitric oxide synthase and PKC activities in cerebellum of gamma-irradiated neonatal rats

MARÍA A ZORRILLA ZUBILETE; HUGO RÍOS; DAFNE MAGALÍ SILBERMAN; LAURA RUTH GUELMAN; MARÍA JIMENA RICATTI; ANA MARÍA GENARO; LUIS MARÍA ZIEHER

BRAIN RESEARCH

Elsevier

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2005 vol. 1051 p. 8 - 16

0006-8993

In this study, we show that one single dose of gamma-irradiation at birth induces an inhibition of the cerebellar calcium dependent nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, probably correlated to the motor abnormalities and the disarrangement in the cerebellar cytoarchitecture observed in adult rats. This decrease in calcium dependent NOS activity could be associated with an increased protein kinase C (PKC) activity. PKC inhibition partially restores calcium dependent NOS activity, indicating that PKC activity could be negatively modulating the catalytic activity of calcium dependent NOS. These findings suggest that a decrease in nitric oxide (NO) production and the related increase in PKC activity could be intracellular events that participate in the onset of motor and cerebellar abnormalities induced by postnatal gamma-irradiation at early stages of life.