Behavioral effects of long-term exposure to magnetic fields in rats.
Male rats and pregnant and nonpregnant female rats of the Wistar strain were sham-exposed or exposed to static (0.49 T) or to extremely low frequency (50 Hz) magnetic fields (0.018 T) 2 h per day for 20 consecutive days. Measures of irritability, exploratory activity, and locomotion were made in that order before and after the 4th, 10th, and 17th 2-h exposures. A reliable decrease in the irritability of rats after repeated exposure to a static or undulating field was found. No significant effects of treatment conditions on open-field behavior and locomotor activity were observed. Pregnancy had no influence on the behavioral end points. These results indicate that irritability of rats may be used as a simple behavioral indicant of mammalian sensitivity to magnetic fields.
Trzeciak
H I
HI
Department of Pharmacology, Silesian Academy of Medicine, Katowice, Poland.
Grzesik
J
J
Bortel
M
M
Kuśka
R
R
Duda
D
D
Michnik
J
J
Małecki
A
A
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D007508:Irritable Mood / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000528:radiation effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors