Chronic exposure to GSM 1800-MHz microwaves reduces excitatory synaptic activity in cultured hippocampal neurons.
The world wide proliferation of mobile phones raises the concern about the health effects of 1800-MHz microwaves on the brain. The present study assesses the effects of microwave exposure on the function of cultured hippocampal neurons of rats using whole cell patch-clamp analysis combined with immunocytochemistry. We showed that chronic exposure (15 min per day for 8 days) to Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) 1800-MHz microwaves at specific absorption rate (SAR) of 2.4 W/kg induced a selective decrease in the amplitude of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-soxazole propionic acid (AMPA) miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs), whereas the frequency of AMPA mEPSCs and the amplitude of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) mEPSCs did not change. Furthermore, the GSM microwave treatment decreased the expression of postsynaptic density 95 (PSD95) in cultured neurons. Our results indicated that 2.4 W/kg GSM 1800-MHz microwaves may reduce excitatory synaptic activity and the number of excitatory synapses in cultured rat hippocampal neurons.
Xu
Shujun
S
Department of Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310031, China.
Ning
Wei
W
Xu
Zhengping
Z
Zhou
Suya
S
Chiang
Huai
H
Luo
Jianhong
J
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008872:Microwaves / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000528:radiation effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000502:physiology; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000502:physiology; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*
D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate