Differences in antioxidative response of rat hippocampus and cortex after exposure to clinical dose of γ-rays

Ionizing radiation increases intracellular production of reactive oxygen species, which can damage cell structure and function. The brain is particularly vulnerable to oxidative injury, and in an area-dependent manner. In order to elucidate differences in enzymatic antioxidative response of rat hippocampus and cortex, we measured activities of CuZnSOD, MnSOD, and CAT in those two brain regions, isolated 1h and 24 h after exposure to 2 Gy of gamma-rays. Our results indicate that lower MnSOD activities and inducibility, found in the hippocampus, are probably some of the main reasons for the particularly great oxidative vulnerability of this brain region.