Expression of neural cell adhesion molecule L1 in the brain of rats exposed to X-irradiation in utero.

To gain insight to the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved abnormal neuronal migration induced by irradiation, we investigated expression of neuronal cell adhesion molecule L1 and neuronal migration in the brains through comparison between rats prenatally exposed to X-ray and controls. To observe the pattern of neuronal migration, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was chosen as a marker to label migrating cells. The results showed some of the labeled cells remained in the lower of the cortical plate in the irradiated rats, suggesting that neuronal migration was disrupted by X-ray. To study change of expressing neural cell molecule L1, rat brains were analyzed by SDS-PAGE after isolation of L1 by immunoaffinity chromatography. In the all brain membrane fraction, immunoaffinity purified L1 had bands at 200, 180, 140 and 80 kDa. However, the bands in the irradiated group were very weak when compared with the control. Taking these results into account, abnormal neuronal migration and reduction of expression L1 found in the irradiated brain indicated that migration of neural cells may be largely dependent on radial glial fiber as well as neural cell molecules like L1. A decrease in L1 expression may be one of reasons of abnormal neuronal migration.