[Histological and histochemical study of the liver of rats exposed on the Cosmos-690 biosatellite].

Liver samples of 12 rats flown aboard the biosatellite Cosmos-690 and irradiated with a dose of 800 rad and of 12 rats from the synchronous experiment were examined histologically and histochemically. On the 2nd and 27th postexperimental days the following morphological changes were detected; nuclear polymorphism of hepatocytes, a significant increase in the number of binuclear cells, and lipid accumulation in central lobes. The changes were more expressed on the 2nd day. These changes were induced by prolonged irradiation in space flight and synchronous experiment: they were not detected in the untreated animals.