The physicochemical status of the plasma membranes of rat fatty tissue and liver in the late periods after gamma irradiation at a dose of 1 Gy. Structural changes in the membranes

The structural status of plasma membranes of adipose tissue and liver of rats was investigated at remote times (from 15 to 380 days) after single 1-Gy gamma irradiation. The structural status was estimated by pyrene excimerisation parameters and also by both induction resonance energy transfer method and membrane tryptophan fluorescence spectral characteristics. On days 50-100 following irradiation the microviscosity of a lipid phase of membranes increased and the mode of lipid/protein interactions changed, whereas at later times the indices under study did not vary from the controls. Comparison of the data obtained with the former results on lipid content changes indicates that the physicochemical status of plasma membranes in rat adipose tissue and liver is modified at remote times following 1-Gy gamma irradiation.