Cerebrovascular permeability to 86Rb in the rat after exposure to pulsed microwaves

Microwaves (pulsed, 2,450 MHz) at an average power density of 3 W/cm2 were applied directly to the head for 5, 10, or 20 min, producing a peak specific absorption rate of 240 W/kg in the brain, which, after a 10-min exposure, resulted in brain temperatures in excess of 43 degrees C. A bolus of 86Rb in isotonic saline was injected intravenously and an arterial sample was collected for 20 s to determine cardiac output. Compared with unexposed controls, uptake of 86Rb increased most in those regions directly in the path of the irradiation, namely, the occipital and parietal cortex, as well as the dorsal hippocampus, midbrain, and basal ganglia. In a separate group of animals, regional brain-vascular spaces were found to increase with brain temperature. These results support previous observations indicating that reliably demonstrable increases of blood-brain barrier permeability are associated with intense, microwave-induced hyperthermia, and that the observed changes are not due to field-specific interaction.