Exposure of rats to 425-MHz (cW) radiofrequency radiation: effects on lymphocytes

Four experiments were performed in which six pregnant rats were exposed from day 12 of pregnancy to parturition, for 4 hours a day in a temperature-controlled environment, to 425-MHz (CW) radiation, using a multimode rectangular strip transmission line. Four male pups born to each dam were subsequently irradiated under the same RF exposure condition for 20-21 days of age (2 pups) and 40-41 days of age (2 pups). Specific absorption rates (SARs) for rats of different ages were determined by twin-well calorimetry as well as from calculations of power measurements of incident, reflected, and transmitted energy. Values of SARs between 3.1 and 6.7 mW/g were obtained for rats so exposed at 425 MHz. At selected times, rats were weighed to determine if the irradiation affected growth. Two rats from each litter (4 pups) were euthanized at 20-21 and two at 40-41 days of age and blood was obtained for complete blood counts. The in vitro blastogenic response of blood and lymph-node lymphocytes was measured by 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA following stimulation of cells with T- or B-lymphocyte mitogens. No difference was observed in the weights of irradiated compared with sham-irradiated rats. No consistent change in the peripheral blood picture was observed between irradiated and sham-irradiated rats. Significant increases in the response of lymph-node but not of blood lymphocytes from irradiated rats following stimulation with mitogens was observed in two of four experiments. These changes were observed for both T- and B-lymphocytes. In another experiment at the same frequency, six pregnant rats were irradiated for 16 hours daily from day 6 through day 19 of pregnancy. The pups born to these dams were not subsequently irradiated. These rats, born to irradiated dams, showed a similar increased response of node but not of blood lymphocytes to T-cell mitogens at 42 days of age. These results indicate that exposure to 425-MHz microwave radiation, under the conditions described, may lead to increased responsiveness of node lymphocytes to in vitro stimulation by mitogen.