Millimeter Wave Exposure Research Articles

Millimeter Wave-induced Modulation of Calcium Dynamics in an Engineered Skin Co-culture Model: Role of Secreted ATP on Calcium Spiking

We have previously designed and characterized a 94 GHz exposure system that allows real-time monitoring of subcellular interactions induced by millimeter wave (MMW) stimulation. For example, studies of the calcium dynamics in neuronal cells in response to 94 GHz irradiation suggested that MMW stimulation increased calcium spiking. In this study, we engineered a 3D co-culture model that represents the major constituents of skin. We used this experimental model along with the custom-designed MMW exposure system to investigate the effects of 94 GHz irradiation in the skin-like tissue construct. Unlike typical non-excitable cells, keratinocytes exhibited calcium spikes in their resting state. Exposure to a 94 GHz irradiation induced a statistically significant increase in the calcium spiking. When co-cultured with neuronal cells in the 3D co-culture skin model, changes in the calcium spiking in neuronal cells depended on the MMW input power. Further, the 94 GHz irradiation caused ATP secretion by keratincytes. ATP is a major factor that modulates the calcium spiking in neuronal cells. Surprisingly, while a 5-fold increase in the ATP secretion enhanced the calcium spiking in neuronal cells, a 10-fold increase significantly hindered the calcium dynamics. Computational simulation of ATP-induced calcium dynamics was in general agreement with the experimental findings, suggesting the involvement of the ATP-sensitive purinergic receptors. The engineered co-culture skin model offers a physiologically relevant environment in which the calcium dynamics is regulated both by the cell-MMW and cell-cell interactions.

Parameter variation effects on temperature elevation in a steady-state, one-dimensional thermal model for millimeter wave exposure of one- and three-layer human tissue

The present study describes theoretical parametric analysis of the steady-state temperature elevation in one-dimensional three-layer (skin, fat and muscle) and one-layer (skin only) models due to millimeter-wave exposure. The motivation of this fundamental investigation is that some variability of warmth sensation in the human skin has been reported. An analytical solution for a bioheat equation was derived by using the Laplace transform for the one-dimensional human models. Approximate expressions were obtained to investigate the dependence of temperature elevation on different thermal and tissue thickness parameters. It was shown that the temperature elevation on the body surface decreases monotonically with the blood perfusion rate, heat conductivity and heat transfer from the body to air. Also revealed were the conditions where maximum and minimum surface temperature elevations were observed for different thermal and tissue thickness parameters. The surface temperature elevation in the three-layer model is 1.3–2.8 times greater than that in the one-layer model. The main reason for this difference is attributed to the adiabatic nature of the fat layer. By considering the variation range of thermal and tissue thickness parameters which causes the maximum and minimum temperature elevations, the dominant parameter influencing the surface temperature elevation was found to be the heat transfer coefficient between the body surface and air.

Modulation of neuronal activity and plasma membrane properties with low-power millimeter waves in organotypic cortical slices

As millimeter waves (MMWs) are being increasingly used in communications and military applications, their potential effects on biological tissue has become an important issue for scientific inquiry. Specifically, several MMW effects on the whole-nerve activity were reported, but the underlying neuronal changes remain unexplored. This study used slices of cortical tissue to evaluate the MMW effects on individual pyramidal neurons under conditions mimicking their in vivo environment. The applied levels of MMW power are three orders of magnitude below the existing safe limit for human exposure of 1 mW cm−2. Surprisingly, even at these low power levels, MMWs were able to produce considerable changes in neuronal firing rate and plasma membrane properties. At the power density approaching 1 µW cm−2, 1 min of MMW exposure reduced the firing rate to one third of the pre-exposure level in four out of eight examined neurons. The width of the action potentials was narrowed by MMW exposure to 17% of the baseline value and the membrane input resistance decreased to 54% of the baseline value across all neurons. These effects were short lasting (2 min or less) and were accompanied by MMW-induced heating of the bath solution at 3 °C. Comparison of these results with previously published data on the effects of general bath heating of 10 °C indicated that MMW-induced effects cannot be fully attributed to heating and may involve specific MMW absorption by the tissue. Blocking of the intracellular Ca2+-mediated signaling did not significantly alter the MMW-induced neuronal responses suggesting that MMWs interacted directly with the neuronal plasma membrane. The presented results constitute the first demonstration of direct real-time monitoring of the impact of MMWs on nervous tissue at a microscopic scale. Implication of these findings for the therapeutic modulation of neuronal excitability is discussed.

Effects of dielectric permittivities on skin heating due to millimeter wave exposure.

BackgroundBecause the possibility of millimeter wave (MMW) exposure has increased, public concern about the health issues due to electromagnetic radiation has also increased. While many studies have been conducted for MMW exposure, the effect of dielectric permittivities on skin heating in multilayer/heterogeneous human-body models have not been adequately investigated. This is partly due to the fact that a detailed investigation of skin heating in a multilayer model by computational methods is difficult since many parameters are involved. In the present study, therefore, theoretical analyses were conducted to investigate the relationship between dielectric permittivities and MMW-induced skin heating in a one-dimensional three-layer model (skin, fat, and muscle).MethodsApproximate expressions were derived for the temperature elevation and temperature difference in the skin due to MMW exposure from analytical solutions for the temperature distribution. First, the power absorption distribution was approximated from the analytical solution for a one-layer model (skin only). Then, the analytical expression of the temperature in the three-layer model was simplified on the basis of the proposal in our previous study. By examining the approximate expressions, the dominant term influencing skin heating was clarified to identify the effects of the dielectric permittivities. Finally, the effects of dielectric permittivities were clarified by applying partial differentiation to the derived dominant term.ResultsSkin heating can be characterized by the parameters associated with the dielectric permittivities, independently of morphological and thermal parameters. With the derived expressions, it was first clarified that skin heating correlates with the total power absorbed in the skin rather than the specific absorption rate (SAR) at the skin surface or the incident power density. Using Debye-type expression we next investigated the effect of frequency dispersion on the complex relative permittivity of tissue. The parametric study on the total power absorbed in the skin showed that skin heating increases as the static permittivity and static conductivity decrease. In addition, the maximum temperature elevation on the body surface was approximately 1.6 times that of the minimum case. This difference is smaller than the difference caused by the thermal and morphological parameters reported in our previous study.ConclusionThis paper analytically clarified the effects of dielectric permittivities on the thermally steady state temperature elevation and the temperature difference in the skin of a one-dimensional three-layer model due to MMW exposure.

Millimeter-wave exposure promotes the differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells into cells with a neural phenotype

This study investigated the ability of millimeter-wave (MMW) to promote the differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) into cells with a neural phenotype. The BMSCs were primarily cultured. At passage 3, the cells were induced by beta-mercaptoethanol (BME) in combination with MMW or BME alone. The expressions of nucleostemin (NS) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) were detected by immunofluorescent staining and Western blotting respectively to identify the differentiation. The untreated BMSCs predominately expressed NS. After induced by BME and MMW, the BMSCs exhibited a dramatic decrease in NS expression and increase in NSE expression. The differentiation rate of the cells treated with BME and MMW in combination was significantly higher than that of the cells treated with BME alone (P<0.05). It was concluded that MMW exposure enhanced the inducing effect of BME on the differentiation of BMSCs into cells with a neural phenotype.

Gene Expression Changes in the Skin of Rats Induced by Prolonged 35 GHz Millimeter-Wave Exposure

To better understand the cellular and molecular responses to overexposure to millimeter waves, alterations in the gene expression profile and histology of skin after exposure to 35 GHz radiofrequency radiation were investigated. Rats were subjected to sham exposure, to 42 degrees C environmental heat, or to 35 GHz millimeter waves at 75 mW/cm(2). Skin samples were collected at 6 and 24 h after exposure for Affymetrix GeneChip analysis. The skin was harvested from a separate group of rats at 3-6 h or 24-48 h after exposure for histopathology analysis. Microscopic findings observed in the dermis of rats exposed to 35 GHz millimeter waves included aggregation of neutrophils in vessels, degeneration of stromal cells, and breakdown of collagen. Changes were detected in 56 genes at 6 h and 58 genes at 24 h in the millimeter-wave-exposed rats. Genes associated with regulation of transcription, protein folding, oxidative stress, immune response, and tissue matrix turnover were affected at both times. At 24 h, more genes related to extracellular matrix structure and chemokine activity were altered. Up-regulation of Hspa1a, Timp1, S100a9, Ccl2 and Angptl4 at 24 h by 35 GHz millimeter-wave exposure was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR. These results obtained from histopathology, microarrays and RT-PCR indicate that prolonged exposure to 35 GHz millimeter waves causes thermally related stress and injury in skin while triggering repair processes involving inflammation and tissue matrix recovery.

Low‐power millimeter wave radiations do not alter stress‐sensitive gene expression of chaperone proteins

This article reports experimental results on the influence of low-power millimeter wave (MMW) radiation at 60 GHz on a set of stress-sensitive gene expression of molecular chaperones, namely clusterin (CLU) and HSP70, in a human brain cell line. Selection of the exposure frequency is determined by its near-future applications for the new broadband civil wireless communication systems including wireless local area networks (WLAN) for domestic and professional uses. Frequencies around 60 GHz are strongly attenuated in the earth's atmosphere and such radiations represent a new environmental factor. An exposure system operating in V-band (50-75 GHz) was developed for cell exposure. U-251 MG glial cell line was sham-exposed or exposed to MMW radiation for different durations (1-33 h) and two different power densities (5.4 microW/cm(2) or 0.54 mW/cm(2)). As gene expression is a multiple-step process, we analyzed chaperone proteins induction at different levels. First, using luciferase reporter gene, we investigated potential effect of MMWs on the activation of transcription factors (TFs) and gene promoter activity. Next, using RT-PCR and Western blot assays, we verified whether MMW exposure could alter RNA accumulation, translation, or protein stability. Experimental data demonstrated the absence of significant modifications in gene transcription, mRNA, and protein amount for the considered stress-sensitive genes for the exposure durations and power densities investigated. The main results of this study suggest that low-power 60 GHz radiation does not modify stress-sensitive gene expression of chaperone proteins.

Skin Heating and Injury by Prolonged Millimeter-Wave Exposure: Theory Based on a Skin Model Coupled to a Whole Body Model and Local Biochemical Release From Cells at Supraphysiologic Temperatures

Energy dissipation by millimeter-wavelength electromagnetic-radiation (MMW; f~3-300 GHz) exposure to mammalian skin occurs within the outer surface. The penetration depth is less than 1 mm for frequencies above 25 GHz. A transport-lattice system model is used, which incorporates two spatial scales to estimate heat and chemical transport in rat skin in vivo: 1) a layered skin model involving the outer several millimeters of the body coupled to 2) a whole body model. The whole body model accounts for core-body heating, which provides a time-dependent reference temperature for blood perfusion in the skin model as well as the chemical concentration in the bloodstream and renal elimination. The model's thermal response to MMW exposure is consistent with the subcutaneous and colonic temperature measurements reported for 75 mWmiddotcm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-2</sup> and 40-min exposures at 94 GHz in anesthetized rats. The simultaneous involvement of two biophysical mechanisms that create different chemical changes in response to the field exposure is also considered. First, a traditional nonspecific thermal-injury indicator is used to estimate denaturing molecular change due directly to heating as a function of depth in the skin. Rat skin exposed in vivo to 75 mWmiddotcm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-2</sup> for long times (40 min) has a significant direct injury, while a 10-s exposure to 1 Wmiddotcm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-2</sup> results in a much less direct injury. Second, the biophysical mechanism of biochemical release through cell membranes within the tissue regions that reach supraphysiologic temperatures is also considered. The released molecules are delivered to other skin regions by diffusion and into the bloodstream by perfusion, where according to our hypothesis, the molecules interact with susceptible cells. This raises the possibility of additional indirect injury at nearby deeper skin regions that experience insignificant heating. Biochemical release may also lead to injury at distant sites within the body by perfusion clearance that transfers molecules into the systemic circulation to reach other susceptible cells. The hypothesis of simultaneous direct- and indirect-injury mechanisms is also illustrated by creating and solving didactic, coupled thermal, and chemical transport-lattice models

Effect of cyclophosphamide and 61.22 GHz millimeter waves on T-cell, B-cell, and macrophage functions

The present study was undertaken to investigate whether millimeter waves (MMWs) at 61.22 GHz can modulate the effect of cyclophosphamide (CPA), an anti-cancer drug, on the immune functions of mice. During the exposure each mouse's nose was placed in front of the center of the antenna aperture (1.5 x 1.5 cm) of MMW generator. The device produced 61.22 +/- 0.2 GHz wave radiation. Spatial peak Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) at the skin surface and spatial peak incident power density were measured as 885 +/- 100 W/kg and 31 +/- 5 mW/cm(2), respectively. Duration of the exposure was 30 min each day for 3 consecutive days. The maximum temperature elevation at the tip of the nose, measured at the end of 30 min, was 1 degrees C. CPA injection (100 mg/kg) was given intraperitoneally on the second day of exposure to MMWs. The animals were sacrificed 2, 5, and 7 days after CPA administration. MMW exposure caused upregulation in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production in peritoneal macrophages suppressed by CPA administration. MMWs also caused a significant increase in interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production by splenocytes and enhanced proliferative activity of T-cells. Conversely, no changes were observed in interleukin-10 (IL-10) level and B-cell proliferation. These results suggest that MMWs accelerate the recovery process selectively through a T-cell-mediated immune response.

Millimeter wave induced reversible externalization of phosphatidylserine molecules in cells exposed in vitro

In vitro exposure of refrigerated samples (4 degrees C) of anti-coagulated blood with millimeter waves (MMWs) at incident power densities (IPDs) between 0.55 and 1.23 W/cm2 has been found to induce clot formation. We found a small but statistically significant change in clot size with increasing IPD value. MMW exposure of blood samples starting at room temperature (22 degrees C) did not induce blood coagulation; neither did conventional heating at temperatures up to 40 degrees C. Since cell-free plasma did not clot upon MMW exposure, the role of blood cells was particularly analyzed. Experiments on various mixtures of blood cells with plasma revealed an important role of red blood cells (RBC) in the coagulation process. Plasma coagulation also developed within the MMW beam above dense keratinocyte (HaCaT) monolayers suggesting it lacked cell-type specificity. We hypothesized that alteration of the membrane surface in exposed cells might be responsible for the circumscribed coagulation. The thrombogenic role of externalized phosphatidylserine (PS) molecules is well known. Therefore, we carried out experiments for immunolabeling PS molecules with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated Annexin V on exposed cells. Fluorescence microscopy of the adherent human keratinocytes (HaCaT) and murine melanoma cells (B16F10) showed that MMW exposure at an IPD of 1.23 W/cm2 is capable of inducing reversible externalization of PS molecules in cells within the beam area without detectable membrane damage. Nonadherent Jurkat cells exposed to MMW at an IPD of 34.5 mW/cm2 also showed reversible PS externalization with flow cytometry, whether the cell temperature was held constant or permitted to rise. These results suggest that certain biological effects induced by MMWs could be initiated by membrane changes in exposed cells.

Numerical modeling and dosimetry of the 35 mm Petri dish under 46 GHz millimeter wave exposure

Experimental studies on effects of millimeter wave (MMW) exposure on cells cultured in Petri dishes have attracted interest in recent decades. To improve the quantification of the biological responses toward the MMW energy, an accurate and precise MMW dosimetry is to be provided. By using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method, the numerical dosimetry is performed for a typical 35 mm Petri dish under 46 GHz continuous MMW exposure from an irradiator of a specified power pattern. With the aim of building a precise model, the meniscus at the interface between the culture solution and the Petri dish sidewall is taken into account, followed by the modeling of smooth edges of the Petri dish. The trilinear interpolation is introduced to assist the FDTD method to obtain a more precise dosimetric assessment. The specific absorption rate (SAR) distributions in the cornea cells covered by culture solution in the Petri dish are calculated and compared to display the effects of using Petri dish models of various precision and the trilinear interpolation on dosimetry results. In addition, the SAR distribution in the cells is analyzed to study its homogeneity. The results indicate that the precise Petri dish model and the application of the trilinear interpolation are helpful in improving the precision of numerical dosimetry. It is also revealed that the inhomogeneity of the SAR distribution is well beyond neglect, which deserves cautious consideration in experiments investigating MMW effects on cells in vitro.

Millimeter wave exposure reverses TPA suppression of gap junction intercellular communication in HaCaT human keratinocytes.

The effect of 30.16 GHz millimeter wave (MMW) exposure at 1.0 and 3.5 mW/cm2 on gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) was studied in cultured HaCaT keratinocytes, using the fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) technique and laser confocal scanning microscopy to follow the intracellular movement of 5,6-carboxyfluorescein diacetate dye. While MMW exposure alone for 1 h at either 1.0 or 3.5 mW/cm2 did not affect GJIC, MMW exposure in combination with 5 ng/ml TPA treatment reversed TPA induced suppression of GJIC. Exposure at 1.0 mW/cm2 resulted in a partial reversal, and exposure at 3.5 mW/cm2 resulted in essentially full reversal of the TPA suppression.

Biological effects of millimeter-wave radiation: A high-throughput screening system

This paper reports on the design and evaluation of a high-throughput assay system for investigating the biological effects of microwave/millimeter wave radiation. The approach presented here differs significantly from others with the deployment of a continuous culture device and sample handling technology that allows the rapid presentation of test samples in a uniform physiological state. Segmented flow of the sample passes through a fundamental mode millimeter-wave exposure cell that is, in this prototype, well characterized between 26 and 40 GHz. A sensitive bioluminescence-based reporter monitored the temporal evolution in each assay segment using optical detector arrays mounted at three observation points, i.e., before the sample entered the cell and during millimeter-wave exposure and postexposure. Using this approach, the continuous monitoring of bioluminescence may be used on different time scales to measure cell energy metabolism, gene expression and growth. Exposed and control samples were monitored and any combination of stimulus parameters, namely, radiation frequency, intensity, and polarization (or any modulation of these) that induced a response that exceeded a noise threshold of the system could be further investigated automatically in real time, for example, with increased frequency resolution and at different power levels. Environmental parameters such as the temperature and magnetic and electric fields were carefully controlled. This sensitive “active” search system may have application in industry, biomedical research, and environmental health.

Cell-to-cell communication in response of E. coli cells at different phases of growth to low-intensity microwaves

Effects of millimeter waves (MMW) at the frequency of 51.755 GHz were studied in logarithmic and stationary E. coli cells at various cell densities. The changes in the genome conformational state (GCS) were analyzed by the method of anomalous viscosity time dependence (AVTD). Before lysis, the cells were adjusted to the cell density of 4×10 7 cells/ml and all AVTD measurements were run at this cell density. Stationary cells responded to MMW by increase in AVTD, while the same MMW exposure decreased AVTD in logarithmic cells. MMW effects depended on cell density during exposure and were stronger for stationary cells. The observed dependence on cell density suggested a cell-to-cell communication between cells during exposure to microwaves. Decrease in power density (PD) resulted in more striking differences between responses at different cell densities. The data provided evidence that intercellular communication in response to MMW depended on cell status and PD of microwaves. The MMW effects were studied in more detail at low intensity of 10 −17 W/cm 2 in the range of cell densities 4×10 7 to 8×10 8 cells/ml. The obtained sigmoid-like dependence of MMW effect on cell density saturated at approximately 5×10 8 cells/ml. The dependence of MMW effect on cell density was very similar in this study and in previous studies with weak extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields (EMF). The data suggested that cell-to-cell communication might be involved in response of cells to weak EMF of various frequency ranges.

Peripheral neural system involvement in hypoalgesic effect of electromagnetic millimeter waves

In a series of blind experiments, using the cold water tail-flick test (cTFT) as a quantitative indicator of pain, the hypoalgesic effect of a single exposure of mice to low power electromagnetic millimeter waves (MW) was studied. The MW exposure characteristics were: frequency = 61.22 GHz; incident power density = 15mW/cm 2; and duration = 15 min. MW treatment was applied to the glabrous skin of the footpad. Exposure of an intact murine paw to the MW resulted in a statistically significant hypoalgesia as measured in the cTFT. These mice were able to resist cold noxious stimulation in the cTFT more than two times longer than animals from the sham-exposed group. A unilateral sciatic nerve transection was used to deafferent the area of exposure in animals from one of the experimental groups. This surgery, conducted six days before the MW treatment, completely abolished the hypoalgesic effect of the exposure to MW. The results obtained support the conclusion that the MW - skin nerve endings interaction is the essential step in the initiation of biological effects caused by MW. Based on our past and present results we recommend that in order to obtain a maximum therapeutic effect, densely innervated skin areas (head, hands) need to be used preferentially for exposure to MW in clinical practice.

Low-intensity millimeter waves as a novel therapeutic modality

One of the most significant events in contemporary electromagnetic biology is a surge in interest to specific effects of low-intensity millimeter-band radiation (30-300 GHz). Bioeffects of millimeter waves (MMWs) can often occur without any considerable heating of the exposed subject, and biological responses are principally different from those caused by heating. The effects of MMWs often have a sharp, resonance-like dependence on the radiation frequency, but they depend relatively little on the radiation intensity. A brief, low-intensity MMW exposure can change cell growth and proliferation rates, activity of enzymes, state of cell genetic apparatus, function of excitable membranes and peripheral receptors; it can alleviate stress reactions, stimulate tissue repair and regeneration, etc. In Eastern Europe, low-intensity MMWs are widely employed for therapeutic purposes. The method has gained official recognition, and millions of people received MMW therapy for various conditions. While the mechanisms of MMW efficacy remain unclear and their medical usage is mostly empirical, the knowledge accumulated over more than 20 years of MMW therapy merits careful analysis and consideration.

Absence of ocular effects after either single or repeated exposure to 10 mW/cm2 from a 60 GHz CW source

This study was designed to examine ocular effects associated with exposure to millimeter waves (60 GHz). Rabbits served as the primary experimental subjects. To confirm the results of the rabbit experiments in a higher species, the second phase of the study used nonhuman primates (Macaca mulatta). First, this study used time-resolved infrared radiometry to assess the field distribution patterns produced by different antennas operating at 60 GHz. These results allowed us to select an antenna that produced a uniform energy distribution and the best distance at which to expose our experimental subjects. The study then examined ocular changes after exposure at an incident power density of 10 mW/cm(2). Acute exposure of both rabbits and nonhuman primates consisted of a single 8 h exposure, and the repeated exposure protocol consisted of five separate 4 h exposures on consecutive days. One eye in each animal was exposed and the contralateral eye served as the sham-exposed control. After postexposure diagnostic examinations, animals were euthanized and the eyes were removed. Ocular tissue was examined by both light and transmission electron microscopy. Neither microscopic examinations nor the diagnostic procedures performed on the eyes of acute and repeatedly exposed rabbits found any ocular changes that could be attributed to millimeter-wave exposure at 10 mW/cm(2). Examination of the primates after comparable exposures also failed to detect any ocular changes due to exposure. On the basis of our results, we conclude that single or repeated exposure to 60 GHz CW radiation at 10 mW/cm(2) does not result in any detectable ocular damage.

Current state and implications of research on biological effects of millimeter waves: a review of the literature.

In recent years, research into biological and medical effects of millimeter waves (MMW) has expanded greatly. This paper analyzes general trends in the area and briefly reviews the most significant publications, proceeding from cell-free systems, dosimetry, and spectroscopy issues through cultured cells and isolated organs to animals and humans. The studies reviewed demonstrate effects of low-intensity MMW (10 mW/cm2 and less) on cell growth and proliferation, activity of enzymes, state of cell genetic apparatus, function of excitable membranes, peripheral receptors, and other biological systems. In animals and humans, local MMW exposure stimulated tissue repair and regeneration, alleviated stress reactions, and facilitated recovery in a wide range of diseases (MMW therapy). Many reported MMW effects could not be readily explained by temperature changes during irradiation. The paper outlines some problems and uncertainties in the MMW research area, identifies tasks for future studies, and discusses possible implications for development of exposure safety criteria and guidelines.

CIRCULATORY FAILURE INDUCED BY 35 GHz MICROWAVE HEATING

Sustained exposure to radiofrequency radiation of millimeter wave (MMW) length produces hyperthermia and subsequent circulatory failure. This study sought to determine whether this phenomenon is altered by chronic pretreatment with the nitric oxide (NO) synthesis inhibitor N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). Rats drank either 1) water, 2) water + L-NAME, or 3) water + L-NAME + L-arginine (at 20 and 50 times the dose of L-NAME) for 14 days. Ketamine-anesthetized rats were exposed to MMW until mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) fell to 75 mmHg, at which point MMW exposure was discontinued. MAP initially increased during exposure in all groups; the pressor response in L-NAME-treated rats was greater than that in water-drinking rats. Subsequently, MAP fell in all groups. The MMW exposure time required to reach MAP = 75 mmHg was significantly reduced in L-NAME-treated rats, although survival times (post-MMW) of L-NAME-treated and control rats were not statistically different. Coadministration of L-arginine abolished the enhanced pressor response produced by L-NAME, but did not completely reverse the shortened MMW exposure time in L-NAME-treated rats. Thus, chronic NO synthesis inhibition with L-NAME reduces the ability of rats to withstand 35 GHz microwave heating, suggesting that NO does not mediate the hypotension produced by this form of hyperthermia.

Frequency-Specific Effects of Millimeter-Wavelength Electromagnetic Radiation in Isolated Nerve

Effects of low-intensity millimeter waves (MMW) were studied in isolated frog nerve using a high-rate stimulation (HRS) functional test. Irradiation was performed in 3 frequency bands (41.1441.54, 45.89–45.93, and 50.8-51.0 GHz), at 5 frequencies in each band. The incident power density was 2.5 m W/cm2 for the 45.8945.93 GHz band and 10-fold less for the other two bands. Each nerve underwent a single 38-min MMW or sham exposure accompanied by an HRS train (20 paired stimuli/s for 17 min). The second stimulus in each pair was delivered during the relative refractory period, 9 ms after the first one. HRS caused a temporary and reversible decrease of the amplitude and conduction velocity of compound action potentials. MMW irradiation attenuated these changes; the MMW effect on the conduction velocity could be caused by microwave heating, while the effect on the amplitude apparently was not thermal. The amplitude changed significantly only in the test action potential (the one evoked during the refractory per...