Dose-response relationship between body temperature and birth defects in radiofrequency-irradiated rats.
Five groups of pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were irradiated for 10-40 min on gestation day 9 in a 27.12-MHz radiofrequency field at a magnetic field strength of 55 A/m and an electric field strength of 300 V/m. The specific absorption rate was 10.8 +/- 0.3 W/kg. Exposures were terminated after the rat's colonic temperature reached 41.0 degrees C, 41.5 degrees C, 42.0 degrees C, 42.5 degrees C, or 43.0 degrees C. A control group was sham irradiated at 0 A/m and 0 V/m on gestation day 9, whereas a second control group was untreated. The incidence of both birth defects and prenatal death was directly related to maternal body temperature once a temperature threshold was exceeded. The temperature threshold for both types of effects was approximately 41.5 degrees C. A few pregnant rats died after exposure to 43.0 degrees C, and higher temperatures were nearly always lethal.
D000016:Abnormalities, Radiation-Induced / Q000209:etiology*; D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D011247:Pregnancy; D011846:Radio Waves / Q000009:adverse effects; D051381:Rats