Effect of prenatal X irradiation on chemical components of DNA and DNA-protein crosslinks in rat cerebrum in the perinatal periods

Wistar rats were X-irradiated in utero with 100 or 200 R on Day 13 of gestation. X Irradiation resulted in decreases not only in cerebral weight up to 15 days old but also in DNA content from Day 19 of gestation to 5 days old, and in a tendency to increase the ratio of protein to DNA in the perinatal period. The DNA contents of the homogenate, isolated nuclei, and chromatin of the cerebrum in the irradiated group were significantly lower than those in the control group. The ratio of protein to DNA at the nuclei, chromatin, and isolated DNA steps increased on irradiation. The total nucleoside content of isolated DNA determined by high-performance liquid chromatography was higher in the irradiated group than that in the control group on Day 21 of gestation but not on Day 19 of gestation. No new peaks were observed and no change in the guanine-cytosine content was seen on irradiation. X Irradiation resulted in decreases in the cytosine and deoxycytidine contents and an increase in the deoxyadenosine content. The formation of DNA-protein crosslinks in the cerebral chromatin as determined by a filter binding assay tended to increase in the irradiated groups