Effect of Exposure to Microwaves on the Neuroendocrine Status of the Rat
Abstract
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were restrained individually in a polyethylene box and placed in the far field of 1.2 CH3, parallel to the electric field. Rats were irradiated for 30 minutes with either no power, continuous wave, or pulsed wave radiation of 5 or 15 mW/cm2, average density. Groups of rats were also employed which had been subjected to stress or external heating in place of microwave radiation. At the end of the exposure period, rats were sacrificed by guillotine and hypothalamus, brain stem, and blood samples obtained. Tissues were quick-frozen and stored at -20 C until analyses. Brain tissues were assayed for tyrosine hydroxylase activity (TH) and norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) concentrations. Results reveal that hypothalamic TH and DA, but not NE were depressed after exposure to microwaves. Brainstem TH and DA were also depressed, but not to as great a degree as in hypothalamus, and mainly to 15 mW/cm2 (CW or PW) rather than 5 mW/cm2. Brainstem NE was unaffected. These data reveal that effects of acute microwave exposure on the brain can be detected. The changes observed were apparently not due to elevated adrenal corticoid levels on to heating of the animals. Further investigation is suggested to clarify this phenomenon and its relationship to the physiology of the organism. Keywords: Radiation effects; Exposure physiology.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 31, 1980
- Accession Number
- ADA214805
Entities
People
- Rex D. Stith
Organizations
- University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center