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Long‐term effects of 2.45‐GHz radiation on the ultrastructure of the cerebral cortex and on hematologic profiles of rats
Author(s) -
Switzer Walter G.,
Mitchell Daniel S.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
radio science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1944-799X
pISSN - 0048-6604
DOI - 10.1029/rs012i06sp00287
Subject(s) - irradiation , ultrastructure , cortex (anatomy) , cerebral cortex , nuclear medicine , specific absorption rate , myelin , biology , chemistry , medicine , andrology , pathology , central nervous system , endocrinology , neuroscience , physics , telecommunications , computer science , nuclear physics , antenna (radio)
A multimode microwave (MW) exposure chamber was employed to investigate the effects of multiple exposures to low‐intensity CW radiation on the ultrastructure of the cerebral cortex of female Sprague‐Dawley rats. In order to maximize the opportunity to observe long‐term structural changes, a 6‐week recovery period was interposed between the last of 110 daily MW‐exposure sessions and the preparation of tissue samples for subsequent electron microscopic examination. Relative to sham‐irradiated control subjects, exposure to 2.45‐GHz radiation at an averaged specific absorption rate (SAR) of 2.3 mW/g produced a statistically significant increase in the occurrence of myelin figures in cortical dendrites of irradiated animals. No other remarkable structural changes were observed. Hematologic analyses revealed a significant elevation in the RBC counts of irradiated rats; differential WBC counts produced evidence of several marginally significant irregularities. Periodic samples of rectal temperature obtained during the course of irradiation revealed no indication of whole‐body heating.