ID Number		614
Study Type		In Vivo
Model		2450 MHz (CW) exposure to birds and analysis of teratogenicity, reproduction, survival, and other parameters
Details		Japanese-quail (both birds and eggs) were exposed to 2450 MHz (CW) at SARs of ~4 W/kg at various stages throughout development. Exposure of eggs did not consistently affect hatchability, mortality after hatching, production and weight of the eggs, fertility and hatchability of eggs, or the reproductive performance of the progeny. Exposure further did not consistently affect red blood cell hemagglutinin, total and differential leukocyte number, or immune function. MW exposure followed by hemorage (via jugular phlebotomy) did not effect recovery of erythrocyte number, leukocyte number, hematocrit, differential cell counts, serum glucose, protein, beta-G, LDH and APase levels as compared to adult quail that were not previously exposed during development. Although Gildersleeve (1986) reported a small reduction in mean cellular hemoglobin with in ovo exposure, subsequent studies by the same group (Clark et al 1987) did not replicate these findings. The authors conclude that MW exposure in ovo does not affect erythropoiesis. Clark (1987) did report a possible augmentation in leucopoiesis in males exposed in ovo and a depression of leucopoiesis in females exposed in ovo, however the effect was not consistently reported in other studies from this group. Effects on granulopoiesis were also not completely consistent between studies. The studies reported an increased level of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and corticosterone levels (in males) during hemorage in adults exposed in ovo. The authors suggest that exposure to microwaves during development may alter the stress response and adrenocortical function, but the contribution of heating to this effect was not conclusively determined. Exposure did not have any effect on cardiovascular function, lactate dehydrogenase, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, or creatine phosphokinase in exposed chick hearts. A similar study exposed 8-13 day old chicks with 2450 MHz (CW or PW- pulse rate 10-50 pulses/sec; pulse width 10 usec) at SARs of up to 30 W/kg for 5-10 minutes and at lower SARs (1.5 W/kg) for up to 1 hour and reported no change in heart rate unless extreme thermal conditions were produced. The authors concluded that using pulse schemes previously reported to be active in Ca++ efflux in chick brains did not seem to have an effect on heart rate. Ultrastructural analysis revealed no effects of exposure on atrial or ventricular muscles. Continuous exposure of eggs through day 12 of development did result in a slight decrease in body and brain weight as well as growth of the cerebellum (granular and molecular layers as well as differentiation and alignment of Purkinje cells and accumulation of granule cells beneath the Purkinje cell layer) in the embryos, but these effects were transient and recovered by 8 weeks of age. The authors suggest that thermal effects of MW exposure may contribute to a transient retarded development of the cerebellum. In studies looking at 2450 MHz exposure to turkey sperm at (SAR) of 10 or 50 W/kg for 30 minutes (temperature maintained at either 25 or 40.5 degrees C), the authors report no effect on number of eggs, percentage of fertile eggs, rate of decrease in egg fertility, percentage of hatched eggs, and percentage of early and late deaths.
Findings		Effects (only at thermal levels)
Status		Completed With Publication
Principal Investigator		NIEHS, RTP North Carolina, USA
Funding Agency		NIEHS, USA
Country		UNITED STATES
References		Gildersleeve, RP et al. Bioelectromagnetics, (1987) 8:9-21 Gildersleeve, RP et al. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. [A], (1987) 87:375-380 Gildersleeve, RP et al. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. [A], (1988) 89:415-424 Bryan, TE et al. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. [A], (1988) 89:511-530 Gildersleeve, RP et al. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. [A], (1988) 89:531-534 Clark, MW et al. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. [A], (1987) 87:923-932 McRee, DI et al. Radiat Res., (1983) 96:51-58 Hall, CA et al. Bioelectromagnetics, (1983) 4:43-54 Hall, CA et al. Radiat. Environ. Biophys., (1982) 20:145-152 Inouye, M et al. Teratology, (1982) 25:115-121 Galvin, MJ et al. Bioelectromagnetics, (1981) 2:269-278 Galvin, MJ et al. Bioelectromagnetics, (1980) 1:389-396 Hamrick, PE et al. Health Phys., (1980) 38:261-268 Hamrick, PE et al. Health Phys., (1977) 33:23-33 McRee, DI et al. Radiat. Res., (1977) 71:355-366 McRee, DI et al. Ann N Y Acad Sci, (1975) 247:377-390 Hamrick, PE et al. J. Microwave Power, (1975) 10:211-220
Comments		The temperature inside the eggs does not appear to have been monitored during exposure, simply the outside ambient incubator temperature. No positive non-RF heat control was used. The high level of variability in the measurements taken, along with the inconsistent results between different studies from this group, and the fluctuating and inconsistent direction of response during the period of analysis make the data difficult to interpret in terms of a valid and physiologically relevant effect.