Effects of head-only exposure of rats to GSM-900 on blood-brain barrier permeability and neuronal degeneration.
Salford et al. reported in 2003 that a single 2-h exposure to GSM-900 mobile telephony signals induced brain damage (increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier and presence of dark neurons) 50 days after exposure. In our study, 16 Fischer 344 rats (14 weeks old) were exposed head-only to the GSM-900 signal for 2 h at various brain-averaged SARs (0, 0.14 and 2.0 W/kg) or were used as cage or positive controls. Albumin leakage and neuron degeneration were evaluated 14 and 50 days after exposure. No apoptotic neurons were found 14 days after the last exposure using the TUNEL method. No statistically significant albumin leakage was observed. Neuronal degeneration, assessed using cresyl violet or the more specific marker Fluoro-Jade B, was not significantly different among the tested groups. No apoptotic neurons were detected. The findings of our study did not confirm the previous results of Salford et al.
de Gannes
Florence Poulletier
FP
a University of Bordeaux, IMS laboratory, Bioelectromagnetics group, ENSCPB, 33607 Pessac cedex, France.
Billaudel
Bernard
B
Taxile
Murielle
M
Haro
Emmanuelle
E
Ruffié
Gilles
G
Lévêque
Philippe
P
Veyret
Bernard
B
Lagroye
Isabelle
I
D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D040421:Cell Phone; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D006257:Head / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D008872:Microwaves; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010539:Permeability / Q000528:radiation effects; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344