Natural distribution of environmental radon daughters in the different brain areas of an Alzheimer disease victim.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Radon is a ubiquitous noble gas in the environment and a primary source of harmful radiation exposure for humans; it decays in a cascade of daughters (RAD) by releasing the cell damaging high energy alpha particles.

RESULTS:

We studied natural distribution of RAD 210Po and 210Bi in the different parts of the postmortem brain of 86-year-old woman who had suffered from Alzheimer's disease (AD). A distinct brain map emerged, since RAD distribution was different among the analyzed brain areas. The highest RAD irradiation (mSv x year(-1)) occurred in the decreasing order of magnitude: amygdala (Amy) >> hippocampus (Hip) > temporal lobe (Tem) approximately = frontal lobe (Fro) > occipital lobe (Occ) approximately = parietal lobe (Par) > substantia nigra (SN) >> locus ceruleus (LC) approximately = nucleus basalis (NB); generally more RAD accumulated in the proteins than lipids of gray and white (gray > white) brain matter. Amy and Hip are particularly vulnerable brain structure targets to significant RAD internal radiation damage in AD (5.98 and 1.82 mSv x year(-1), respectively). Next, naturally occurring RAD radiation for Tem and Fro, then Occ and Par, and SN was an order of magnitude higher than that in LC and NB; the later was within RAD we observed previously in the healthy control brains.

CONCLUSION:

Naturally occurring environmental RAD exposure may dramatically enhance AD deterioration by selectively targeting brain areas of emotions (Amy) and memory (Hip).

• Authors: Berislav Momcilović, Glenn I Lykken, Marvin Cooley
• Journal: Molecular neurodegeneration (Mol Neurodegener) Vol. 1 Pg. 11 (Sep 11 2006) ISSN: 1750-1326 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 16965619 (Publication Type: Journal Article)