Interaction between age and exposure to 56Fe particles on behavior and neurochemistry

Previous research has shown that exposure to HZE particles, which will be encountered on long-term space missions, can adversely affect the ability of rats to perform a variety of behavioral tasks. This outcome has implications for an astronaut's ability to successfully complete requirements associated with these missions. It has also been found that irradiation can lead to increases in oxidative stress, similar to that seen in the aging brain. Given that astronauts are often middle-aged or older it is important to determine if their age puts them at higher risk for the potentially hazardous effects of exposure to HZE particles. Therefore, we exposed young and old rats to either 1 or 2 Gy of 56Fe irradiation and evaluated performance in a spatial learning and memory task, in addition to examining levels of dopamine (DA) release from superfused striatal slices. Results indicated that exposure to 56Fe particles can produce alterations in behavior and neuronal signaling and that these alterations may be more apparent in older organisms, a finding which suggests that the aging brain may be more susceptible to the deleterious effects of irradiation on performance. Therefore, age may be a factor for consideration in planning long-term missions into space.