Ultra-wideband electromagnetic pulses: lack of effects on heart rate and blood pressure during two-minute exposures of rats.
Exposure to fast-rise-time ultra-wideband (UWB) electromagnetic pulses has been postulated to result in effects on biological tissue (including the cardiovascular system). In the current study, 10 anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to pulses produced by a Sandia UWB pulse generator (average values of exposures over three different pulse repetition rates: rise time, 174-218 ps; peak E field, 87-104 kV/m; pulse duration, 0.97-0.99 ns). Exposures to 50, 500 and 1000 pulses/s resulted in no significant changes in heart rate or mean arterial blood pressure measured every 30 s during 2 min of exposure and for 2 min after the exposure. The results suggest that acute UWB whole-body exposure under these conditions does not have an immediate detrimental effect on these cardiovascular system variables in anesthetized rats.
Jauchem
J R
JR
Directed Energy Bioeffects Division, U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (Armstrong Research Site), Brooks Air Force Base, Texas 78235-5324, USA. james.jauchem@aloer.brooks.af.mil
Seaman
R L
RL
Lehnert
H M
HM
Mathur
S P
SP
Ryan
K L
KL
Frei
M R
MR
Hurt
W D
WD
D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors