Continuous wave and simulated GSM exposure at 1.8 W/kg and 1.8 GHz do not induce hsp16-1 heat-shock gene expression in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Recent data suggest that there might be a subtle thermal explanation for the apparent induction by radiofrequency (RF) radiation of transgene expression from a small heat-shock protein (hsp16-1) promoter in the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. The RF fields used in the C. elegans study were much weaker (SAR 5-40 mW kg(-1)) than those routinely tested in many other published studies (SAR approximately 2 W kg(-1)). To resolve this disparity, we have exposed the same transgenic hsp16-1::lacZ strain of C. elegans (PC72) to higher intensity RF fields (1.8 GHz; SAR approximately 1.8 W kg(-1)). For both continuous wave (CW) and Talk-pulsed RF exposures (2.5 h at 25 degrees C), there was no indication that RF exposure could induce reporter expression above sham control levels. Thus, at much higher induced RF field strength (close to the maximum permitted exposure from a mobile telephone handset), this particular nematode heat-shock gene is not up-regulated. However, under conditions where background reporter expression was moderately elevated in the sham controls (perhaps as a result of some unknown co-stressor), we found some evidence that reporter expression may be reduced by approximately 15% following exposure to either Talk-pulsed or CW RF fields.
Dawe
Adam S
AS
Institute of Genetics, School of Biology, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Nylund
Reetta
R
Leszczynski
Dariusz
D
Kuster
Niels
N
Reader
Tom
T
De Pomerai
David I
DI
D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018869:Heat-Shock Response / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D008872:Microwaves; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; C526743:hsp-16.1 protein, C elegans