In vitro study of microwave effects on calcium efflux in rat brain tissue

In this study we investigated the prospect of microwave-induced alteration of 45Ca2+ efflux from rat neural tissue at low pulse repetition frequencies and low power densities under in vitro conditions. Rat cerebral tissue, preloaded with 45Ca2+, was exposed to pulsed-microwave radiation (1-GHz carrier frequency) according to one of several PRF-power density exposure schemes: 16 Hz at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, or 15 mW/cm2, or 32 Hz at 1.0 or 2.0 mW/cm2 average power density. Measurements of radioactivity in the efflux medium and in the tissue sample were used to calculate an efflux value for each sample. The results indicate that the radiation conditions used did not alter calcium efflux in rat brain tissue.