Richard D. Saunders

Low‐level exposure to pulsed 900 MHz microwave radiation does not cause deficits in the performance of a spatial learning task in mice

There is some concern that short-term memory loss or other cognitive effects may be associated with the use of mobile cellular telephones. In this experiment, the effect of repeated, acute exposure to a low intensity 900 MHz radiofrequency (RF) field pulsed at 217 Hz was explored using an appetitively-motivated spatial learning and working memory task. Adult male C57BL/6J mice were exposed under far field conditions in a GTEM cell for 45 min each day for 10 days at an average whole-body specific energy absorption rate (SAR) of 0.05 W/kg. Their performance in an 8-arm radial maze was compared to that of sham-exposed control animals. All behavioral assessments were performed without handlers having knowledge of the exposure status of the animals. Animals were tested in the maze immediately following exposure or after a delay of 15 or 30 min. No significant field-dependent effects on performance were observed in choice accuracy or in total times to complete the task across the experiment. These results suggest that exposure to RF radiation simulating a digital wireless telephone (GSM) signal under the conditions of this experiment does not affect the acquisition of the learned response. Further studies are planned to explore the effects of other SARs on learned behavior. Bioelectromagnetics 21:151-158, 2000. Published 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Deficits in spatial learning after exposure of mice to a 50 Hz magnetic field

A series of four experiments was performed to determine the effect of exposure to a 50 Hz magnetic field on memory-related behaviour of adult, male C57BL/6J mice. Experimental subjects were exposed to a vertical, sinusoidal magnetic field at 0.75 mT (rms), for 45 min immediately before daily testing sessions on a spatial learning task in an eight-arm radial maze. Control subjects were only exposed to a background time-varying field of less than 50 nT and the ambient static field of about 40 microT. In each experiment, exposure significantly reduced the rate of acquisition of the task but did not affect overall accuracy. This finding is consistent with the results of another study that found that prior exposure to 60 Hz magnetic fields affected spatial learning in rats.

Prenatal Irradiation and Spatial Memory in Mice: Investigation of Dose-response Relationship

Pregnant CD1 mice were exposed on gestational day 18 to 250 kV X-rays at 0.1, 0.25, 0.35 and 0.5 Gy. The performances of 10 adult male offspring from each exposure condition were investigated on a spatial discrimination learning task in a radial arm maze. An impairment in the performance of this task was found which showed a correlation with dose. Compared with sham exposed control mice, performance was not significantly affected with irradiation at 0.1 Gy and was slightly but non-significantly reduced at 0.25 Gy. Irradiation at 0.35 Gy caused a significant impairment in performance, and exposure at 0.5 Gy resulted in a still larger impairment. The overall association between dose and behavioural impairment was best described by a linear relationship without a threshold, although at doses lower than about 0.25 Gy any impairment would appear to be too small to be detectable.

Effects of 2.45 GHz microwave radiation and heat on mouse spermatogenic epithelium.

The rear halves of the bodies of anaesthetized male C3H mice were exposed for 30 min to 2.45 GHz microwave radiation and the effects on the testes were compared to those produced by direct heating. Effects were observed which are consistent with the hypothesis that heat damage is the primary effect of microwave exposure. Damage measured six days after exposure ranged in severity from depletion of the spermatocytes to extensive necrosis of the germinal epithelium. Temperature-sensitive probes implanted in the testes revealed a threshold effect for depletion of the spermatocytes of approximately 39 degrees C and an LD50 6 (50 per cent cell death after 6 days) of about 41 degrees C after microwave exposure or direct heating. The corresponding effective threshold effect and LD50 6 expressed in terms of absorbed microwave power were 20 W kg-1 and 30 W kg-1. However, it is probable that a conscious animal is better able to regulate testicular temperature and hence adjust to higher dose-rates.

50 Hz magnetic field effects on the performance of a spatial learning task by mice

Intense magnetic fields have been shown to affect memory-related behaviours of rodents. A series of experiments was performed to investigate further the effects of a 50 Hz magnetic field on the foraging behaviour of adult, male C57BL/6J mice performing a spatial learning task in an eight-arm radial maze. Exposure to vertical, sinusoidal magnetic fields between 7.5 microT and 7.5 mT for 45 min immediately before daily testing sessions caused transient decreases in performance that depended on the applied flux density. Exposure above a threshold of between 7.5 and 75 microT significantly increased the number of errors the animals made and reduced the rate of acquisition of the task without any effect on overall accuracy. However, the imposition of a 45-minute delay between exposure at 0.75 mT and behavioural testing resulted in the elimination of any deficit. Similarly, exposure to fields between 7.5 microT and 0.75 mT for 45 min each day for 4 days after training had no amnesic effects on the retention and subsequent performance of the task. Overall, these results provide additional evidence that 50 Hz magnetic fields may cause subtle changes in the processing of spatial information in mice. Although these effects appear dependent on field strength, even at high flux densities the field-induced deficits tend to be transient and reversible.

Prenatal Irradiation and Spatial Memory in Mice: Investigation of Critical Period

Pregnant CD1 mice were exposed on various gestational or postnatal days to 1 Gy of 250 kV X-rays. Ten adult, male offspring from each exposure condition were tested in a radial arm maze. Compared to sham-exposed control mice, acquisition of spatial information was unimpaired in animals exposed on gestational days 13 or 15, or on postnatal day 10, but animals exposed on gestational day 18 or postnatal day 1 showed sustained deficits in acquisition. These results appear consistent with the known time-course for the proliferation and migration of the dentate granule cells of the hippocampus in the mouse, and are discussed in relation to the dependence on hippocampal integrity of the acquisition and use of spatial information. The results suggest that comparable deficits in mental function might be expected in humans similarly exposed to ionizing radiation during periods of proliferation and migration of the dentate granule cells.

50 Hz magnetic field exposure alters onset of S-phase in normal human fibroblasts.

This study was undertaken to investigate whether power frequency magnetic fields can affect the kinetics of cell cycle progression in exposed human cells. To achieve this, cultures of normal human fibroblasts were synchronised in the G(0) phase of the cell cycle and exposed to 50 Hz magnetic fields at a range of flux densities. Progression through the cycle was monitored by examining the timing of entry into S phase, as characterised by the onset of DNA synthesis. Simultaneous positive controls were exposed to human recombinant fibroblast growth factor to demonstrate that the system was responsive to external stimuli. Exposure to magnetic fields at 20 and 200 microT induced a small but significant increase in the length of the G(1) phase of the cell cycle. However, exposure at higher flux densities of 2 and 20 mT had no significant effect. These results are discussed in relation to weak magnetic field effects on free radical concentration.

Studies of the Induction of Dominant Lethals and Translocations in Male Mice after Chronic Exposure to Microwave Radiation

Male C3H mice were exposed to 100 W m-2 of 2.45 GHz continuous-wave microwave radiation for 6 h per day for a total of 120 h over an 8-week period. The exposure level was chosen so that the specific energy absorption rate (SAR) would be approximately equal to the level of 4 W kg-1 which is considered by a number of organizations to be a threshold for adverse biological effects. At the end of the treatment period the mice were mated with a different group of (C3H x 101) F1 hybrid females each week for the following 8 weeks. There was no significant reduction in pregnancy rate, preimplantation survival or postimplantation survival in the exposed group compared to sham-exposed controls. At the end of the mating period a cytogenetic analysis was carried out of meiotic chromosome preparations of testicular tissue, thus sampling cells that were stem cell spermatogonia during the treatment regime. The results showed no difference in the frequency of reciprocal translocations between the sham and treated groups, or in the frequency of cells with autosome or sex chromosome univalents. Low levels of fragments and exchanges were found in both groups. It is concluded that there is no evidence in this experiment to show that chronic exposure of male mice to 2.45 GHz microwave radiation induces a mutagenic response in male germ cells. This conclusion is in agreement with the observations of Berman et al. (1980), who reported a lack of male germ cell mutagenesis after repetitive or chronic exposure of rats to 2.45 GHz.

Cytogenetic Effects of Microwave Irradiation on Male Germ Cells of the Mouse

Hybrid male mice were exposed to 2.45 GHz microwaves for 30 min/day, 6 days a week for two consecutive weeks at power densities of 1.0, 100 or 400 W m-2, with sham-exposed controls. Rectal temperatures before and after exposure were measured on days 1, 6 and 12. Measurements made on day 1 were treated with caution because of heterogeneity in rectal temperatures taken before exposure between the groups of mice given different treatments. On days 6 and 12, rectal temperatures rose by approximately 1 degree C in mice sham exposed, or exposed to 1 W m-2 or 100 W m-2. Only in the group of mice exposed to 400 W m-2 was the mean rise in rectal temperature during exposure (about 3 degrees C) significantly increased above the sham value. In groups killed 2-3 days after treatment (mainly meiotic exposure) frequencies of chromosome aberrations in spermatocytes showed no significant heterogeneity although the highest frequency of 1.5 per cent was at the highest (400 W m-2) power density. Another group killed 30 days after 100 W m-2 exposures (spermatogonial sampling) showed no significant increase over controls in chromosome aberration frequency. There was a small but significant increase in sperm count with increasing power density in mice killed 12-13 days after exposure, but a non-significant one in those exposed as spermatogonia (killed 41 days later). Thus effects were markedly less severe than those reported previously by Manikowska-Czerska et al. (1985) with a very similar radiation regime and were probably caused by the temperature enhancement.

Single, brief exposure to a 50 Hz magnetic field does not affect the performance of an object recognition task in adult mice.

A number of studies have shown that power frequency magnetic fields may affect spatial memory functions in rodents. An experiment was performed using a spontaneous object recognition task to investigate if nonspatial working memory was similarly affected. Memory changes in adult, male C57BL/6J mice were assessed by measuring the relative time within which the animals explored familiar or novel stimulus objects. Between initial testing and retesting, the animals were exposed for 45 min to a 50 Hz magnetic field at either 7.5 microT, 75 microT or 0.75 mT. Other animals were sham-exposed with ambient fields of less than 50 nT. No significant field-dependent effects on the performance of the task were observed at any flux density (for all measures, P > 0.05). These data provide no evidence to suggest that nonspatial working memory was affected in mice by acute exposure to an intense 50 Hz magnetic field.