Early and transient effects of neutron irradiation on dopamine receptors in the adult rat brain.

The early neurochemical effects of neutron-gamma radiation exposures were studied through ligand dopamine D1, D2 receptors binding experiments. The parameters of binding were investigated on crude preparations from striatum at different delays (from 2 to 72 hours) after irradiation. An early and transient increase in the total number of sites was seen after exposure, even at infra-lethal dose. This 'radiosensitivity' was higher for D1 than for D2 receptor. It is assumed that these modifications could participate in the early neuro-vegetative syndrome observed in irradiated persons.