Effects of microwave exposure on the hamster immune system. I. Natural killer cell activity

Hamsters were exposed to repeated or single doses of microwave energy and monitored for changes in core body temperature, circulating leukocyte profiles, serum corticosteroid levels, and natural killer (NK) cell activity in various tissues. NK cytotoxicity was measured in a 51Cr-release assay employing baby hamster kidney (BHK) targets or BHK infected with herpes simplex virus. Repeated exposure of hamsters at 15 mW/cm2 for 60 min/day had no significant effect on natural levels of spleen-cell NK activity against BHK targets. Similarly, repeated exposure at 15 mW/cm2 over a 5-day period had no demonstrable effect on the induction of spleen NK activity by vaccinia virus immunization, that is, comparable levels of NK were induced in untreated and microwave-treated animals. In contrast, treatment of hamsters with a single 60-min microwave exposure at 25 mW/cm2 caused a significant suppression in induced spleen NK activity. A similar but less marked decrease in spleen NK activity was observed in sham-exposed animals. Moreover, the sham effects on NK activity were not predictable and appeared to represent large individual animal variations in the response to stress factors. Depressed spleen NK activity was evident as early as 4 h postmicrowave treatment and returned to normal levels by 8 h. Hamsters exposed at 25 mW/cm2 showed an elevated temperature of 3.0-3.5 degrees C that returned to normal within 60 min after termination of microwave exposure. These animals also showed a marked lymphopenia and neutrophilia by 1 h posttreatment that returned to normal by 8-10 h. Serum glucocorticosteroids were elevated between 1 aNd 8 h after microwave treatment. Sham-exposed animals did not demonstrate significant changes in core body temperature, peripheral blood leukocyte (PBL) profile, or glucocorticosteroid levels as compared to minimum-handling controls.