Factorial Comparison of the Effects of Pentobarbital Sodium and Whole-Body X-Irradiation on VR-3 Food Reinforced Bar-Pressing

36 male albino rats were trained to bar-press for food on a VR-3 reinforcement schedule before administration of either 0, 4.75, or 475 rad. whole body x-irradiation combined factorially with Nembutal or saline. The 475-rad. condition produced a marked reduction in response rate within 24 hr. of exposure. A similar but less pronounced decrement was attributed to residual narcosis. No interaction of Nembutal with x-irradiation was obtained.

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Effects of prenatal x-irradiation on motor performance in the rat

American Journal of Physiology-Legacy Content ◽

10.1152/ajplegacy.1961.201.4.703 ◽

1961 ◽

Vol 201 (4) ◽

pp. 703-706 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Jack Werboff ◽

Irving Goodman ◽

Joan Havlena ◽

Melvin R. Sikov

Keyword(s):

Motor Performance ◽

Motor Impairment ◽

Whole Body ◽

Control Group ◽

Albino Rats ◽

Sprague Dawley ◽

X Irradiation ◽

Motor Strength ◽

Low Levels ◽

Almost All

Gravid albino rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain received either 25, 50, or 100 r whole-body X-radiation on either day 5, 10, 15, or 20 of gestation. Controls were sham-irradiated. Over 500 surviving offspring were evaluated on measures of motor maturation of the upright and righting responses, motor strength, and locomotor learning during the neonatal period. The results indicate that radiation exposure of 100 r on day 15 of gestation retards motor maturation of the upright and righting responses. Almost all of the radiation groups show a decrease in motor strength as compared to the control group with maximum deficits in the groups receiving 50 or 100 r on day 10 or 15 of gestation. On the locomotor learning measure, the results are not consistent, but the group receiving 100 r on day 15 of gestation is maximally affected. These deficits in motor performance are related to observable motor impairment. It is concluded that low levels of radiation received prenatally can have detrimental effects on the development of motor performances in the rat.

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Food-Reinforced Response Decrements as a Function of Amount of Ionizing X-Irradiation

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1965.17.2.431 ◽

1965 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 431-434

Author(s):

Richard K. Smith ◽

S. Thomas Elder ◽

Stuart K. Stokes ◽

Merrill M. Rye ◽

George R. Meckstroth

Keyword(s):

Irradiation Dose ◽

Initial Response ◽

Whole Body ◽

Albino Rats ◽

Response Decrement ◽

Treatment Groups ◽

X Irradiation ◽

Independent Variable ◽

Main Effects ◽

Maximum Differentiation

32 malt albino rats, about 90, 120, or 150 days of age and weighing between 240 and 340 gm. at the start of the experiment, were employed in a study in which whole body X-irradiation dose level was the independent variable and number of VR-3 food reinforced bar-presses pet session the dependent variable. On the 12th day of training, Ss were assigned without bias to one of the four following whole-body X-irradiation doses: (1) 0 rad, (2) 285 rad, (3) 570 rad, or (4) 855 rad. An analysis of responses made by the four treatment groups over 10 days of post-irradiation observation yielded significant main effects attributable to differences in amount of X-irradiation and to daily experimental sessions. The interaction of days with level of irradiation was also significant. The amount of initial response decrement was directly related to the amount of irradiation received, with maximum differentiation occurring about the fourth day after treatment.

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