title: Non-thermal exposure to radiofrequency energy from digital wireless phones does not affect ornithine decarboxylase activity in L929 cells.
abstract: L929 murine fibroblast cells were exposed to radiofrequency (RF) radiation from a time division multiple access wireless phone operating at 835 MHz frequency to determine the effect of RF-radiation energy emitted by wireless phones on ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity in cultured cells. Exposure was for 8 h to an average specific absorption rate (SAR) from <1 W/kg up to 15 W/kg. After exposure, cells were harvested and ODC activity was measured. No statistically significant difference in ODC activity was found between RF-radiation-exposed and sham-exposed cells at non-thermal specific absorption rates. At SARs which resulted in measurable heating of the medium, a dose-dependent decrease in enzymatic activity was observed and was shown to be consistent with a comparable decrease caused by non-RF-radiation heating. Thus we observed only the well-known enzyme inhibition due to heating, rather than the previously reported enhancement attributed to RF-radiation exposure.
authors.affiliation: US Food and Drug Administration, 9200 Corporate Blvd, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA.
authors.forename: Abiy B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Desta
authors.forename: Russell D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.forename: Larry W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Cress
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D002460:Cell Line; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D051379:Mice; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011846:Radio Waves; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase