Effects of Pulsed Microwave Radiation Pre -and Post-Natally on the Developing Brain in Mice

Abstract

Pregnant mice were irradiated for 5 hours daily throughout the pregnancy with pulsed microwaves at an incident average power density of 8 mW/cm², or were sham irradiated. After birth, from day 3 to day 20, half the offspring delivered by irradiated mice were irradiated (RR group) and half were sham-irradiated (RC group). The same procedure was used for offspring delivered by sham-irradiated mice (CR and CC). All offspring were sacrificed at 22 days of age. Histochemical analyses of the hypothalamus and liver were performed with a microspectrophotometer. The data suggested that succinate dehydrogenase in the hypothalamus was reduced by either pre-or post-natal microwave exposure. Similar changes occurred in the liver. The same pattern appeared with hypothalamic catechol-amine and monoamine oxidase. The data indicate that low-intensity microwave exposure can induce subtle alterations in offspring not detected with previously used techniques.