The Effects of Single and Repeated Exposure to 2.45 GHz Radiofrequency Fields on c-Fos Protein Expression in the Paraventricular Nucleus of Rat Hypothalamus

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of microwave radiation on the PVN of the hypothalamus, extracted from rat brains. Expression of c-Fos was used to study the pattern of cellular activation in rats exposed once or repeatedly (ten times in 2 weeks) to 2.45 GHz radiation in a GTEM cell. The power intensities used were 3 and 12 W and the Finite Difference Time Domain calculation was used to determine the specific absorption rate (SAR). High SAR triggered an increase of the c-Fos marker 90 min or 24 h after radiation, and low SAR resulted in c-Fos counts higher than in control rats after 24 h. Repeated irradiation at 3 W increased cellular activation of PVN by more than 100% compared to animals subjected to acute irradiation and to repeated non-radiated repeated session control animals. The results suggest that PVN is sensitive to 2.45 GHz microwave radiation at non-thermal SAR levels.

Electromagnetic fields at 2.45 GHz trigger changes in heat shock proteins 90 and 70 without altering apoptotic activity in rat thyroid gland

“…De Pomerai et al, for example, later rectified their study, saying that what they had taken to be a ‘non-thermal’ effect (de Pomerai et al, 2000; de Pomerai et al, 2003) was in fact a thermal one (de Pomerai et al, 2006). Our experience, which has been corroborated by other studies, suggests that the interaction of RF in the tissues might activate thermal and non-thermal mechanisms simultaneously (Jorge-Mora et al, 2010; Jorge-Mora et al, 2011; López-Martín et al, 2006; López-Martín et al, 2009; Curcio et al, 2005). In some cases one mechanism is more apparent than the other; in this experiment, rectal temperature was slightly higher in animals with a higher SAR.…”

“…Thus, HSP-90 thyroid cells are more sensitive to 3 W power. This also appears in repeated exposures of nervous tissue (Jorge-Mora et al, 2011), but is not the case with HSP-70.…”

“…Because the animals received non-ionizing radiation to the entire body through the skin, the system is subject to multiple physical stimuli with biological repercussions that are difficult to identify precisely. Tissue stress can be added to other mechanisms induced by the simultaneous action of different functional circuits (Jorge-Mora et al, 2011). …”

Neural Cell Apoptosis Induced by Microwave Exposure Through Mitochondria-dependent Caspase-3 Pathway

“…Furthermore, a recent study reported DNA damage and gene expression changes in brain cell cultures of mice after exposure to 10.715 GHz 0.725 W/kg radiation for 6 h in 3 days at 25°C 39. In addition, an increase in c-fos protein expression was induced in the paraventricular nucleus of the rat hypothalamus 90 min or 24 h after exposure to 2.45 GHz 0.9 W/kg radiation for 30 min 40. These results showed the possibility of apoptotic effects induced by microwave radiation.…”

Effect of Aqueous Extract fromMorinda officinalis F. C. Howon Microwave-Induced Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testis Axis Impairment in Male Sprague-Dawley Rats

“…Microwaves from mobile phones located nearby the testicular organs can penetrate testicular tissues. In addition, the central nervous system is susceptible to microwave exposure [ 10 , 11 ]. Microwaves may have both thermal and nonthermal effects on the reproductive tissues [ 12 ], which may lead to decreased sperm count, enzymatic and hormonal changes, DNA damage, and apoptosis formation [ 13 ].…”