Study of glutathione reductase activity in the brain cortex, brain stem and the cerebellum of irradiated rats

The paper presents results of the study of pressing problems related to molecular mechanisms of radiation effects on a human body, as well as radiation protection and safety control to human beings in healthcare settings. Results of research on activity of glutathione reductase, the enzyme of the antioxidant system, in various structural-functional brain areas in the white outbred rats exposed to whole-body gamma radiation at a dose of 6 Gy are considered. Glutathione reductase activity was found in the cerebral cortex, brain stem and cerebellum of irradiated animals. The activity of glutathione reductase in the cytoplasm was higher than in mitochondria derived from cortex, cerebellum and brain stem cells in the intact animals. The sharp decrease in glutathione reductase activity was observed on the 7th day after the exposure of rats to gamma radiation. The activity of glutathione reductase in the studied brain areas of irradiated rats changes with the time of radiation lesion development. The role of the enzyme in the metabolism of glutathione, a substrate of glutathione reductase, in rats brain undergone acute whole-body radiation injury, is discussed.