title: Single- and double-strand DNA breaks in rat brain cells after acute exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation.
abstract: We investigated the effects of acute (2-h) exposure to pulsed (2-micros pulse width, 500 pulses s(-1)) and continuous wave 2450-MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation on DNA strand breaks in brain cells of rat. The spatial averaged power density of the radiation was 2mW/cm2, which produced a whole-body average-specific absorption rate of 1.2W/kg. Single- and double-strand DNA breaks in individual brain cells were measured at 4h post-exposure using a microgel electrophoresis assay. An increase in both types of DNA strand breaks was observed after exposure to either the pulsed or continuous-wave radiation, No significant difference was observed between the effects of the two forms of radiation. We speculate that these effects could result from a direct effect of radiofrequency electromagnetic energy on DNA molecules and/or impairment of DNA-damage repair mechanisms in brain cells. Our data further support the results of earlier in vitro and in vivo studies showing effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation on DNA.
authors.affiliation: Bioelectromagetics Research Laboratory, Center for Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004247:DNA / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004249:DNA Damage; D004260:DNA Repair; D008297:Male; D011846:Radio Waves; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D004247:DNA