Microwave adverse exposure changes of blood and brain levels of some elements in rats

ABSTRACT

In this work, four groups of adult male albino rats were used; the first as control, the second was exposed to microwave radiation 11/2 hr/day for seven consecutive days at a dose of 15 mW/cm2 and frequency 10.525 CHz. The third was exposed like the second but for 24 consecutive days, while the fourth was treated as the third and then left for two weeks as a rest period. Then animals were sacrificed and the blood and brain levels of some major and trace elements [calcium. iron, manganese, copper, nickel, zinc, selenium and molybdenum] were estimated by the Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence technique [EDXF]; an easy, rapid, multi-elemental and need low weight of samples. Calcium, iron and manganese showed a significant increase in the exposed groups, while zinc, copper and molybdenum showed a significant decrease in both blood and brain when compared to control. Nickel of blood exposed groups showed a significant drop in the acute and chronic exposure groups and restored its normal figure in the chronic exposure then rest group, but it gave no readings in the brain sample for all groups. As for selenium it showed a significant drop in both acute and chronic exposure groups and a significant rise in the chronic then rest group in the blood; but in brain it gave no readings for the control and chronic exposure groups and a significant rise in the other two. These changes were explained by the microwave variant effects on ion fluxes via the effect on the ion channel properties of cell membrane, interaction between the cellular membrane molecules containing these ions, voltage changes across the cell membrane. etc