Perinatal exposure to 60-Hz electric fields: effects on the development of the visual-evoked response in rats.
Two independent series of experiments were performed on 114 male Sprague-Dawley-derived, albino rat pups, which represented 61 litters in experimental series I and 53 litters in experimental series II. Animals were exposed for 20 h/day from conception to testing (postnatal days 11-20) to a vertical, 65-kV/m, 60-Hz electric field or sham-exposed. Recordings of the visual-evoked response (VER) were obtained using a small silver ball electrode placed epidurally over the visual cortex. Visual stimuli consisted of 10-microseconds light flashes delivered at 0.2 Hz. Computer-averaged VERs were obtained and power spectral analyses (fast Fourier transform) were performed on the tapered (split cosine-bell window), averaged VERs. The expected age-related changes were clearly evident; however, a detailed analysis of VER component latencies, peak-to-peak amplitude, and power spectra failed to reveal any consistent, statistically significant effect of exposure to 60-Hz electric fields.
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development*; D004560:Electricity / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011930:Reaction Time