Identification of a Novel Rat NR2B Subunit Gene Promoter Region Variant and Its Association with Microwave-Induced Neuron Impairment

Effects of Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Radiation on Neurotransmitters in the Brain

With the rapid development of electronic information in the past 30 years, technical achievements based on electromagnetism have been widely used in various fields pertaining to human production and life. Consequently, electromagnetic radiation (EMR) has become a substantial new pollution source in modern civilization. The biological effects of EMR have attracted considerable attention worldwide. The possible interaction of EMR with human organs, especially the brain, is currently where the most attention is focused. Many studies have shown that the nervous system is an important target organ system sensitive to EMR. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have focused on the neurobiological effects of EMR, including the metabolism and transport of neurotransmitters. As messengers of synaptic transmission, neurotransmitters play critical roles in cognitive and emotional behavior. Here, the effects of EMR on the metabolism and receptors of neurotransmitters in the brain are summarized.

Establishment of injury models in studies of biological effects induced by microwave radiation

Microwave radiation has been widely used in various fields, such as communication, industry, medical treatment, and military applications. Microwave radiation may cause injuries to both the structures and functions of various organs, such as the brain, heart, reproductive organs, and endocrine organs, which endanger human health. Therefore, it is both theoretically and clinically important to conduct studies on the biological effects induced by microwave radiation. The successful establishment of injury models is of great importance to the reliability and reproducibility of these studies. In this article, we review the microwave exposure conditions, subjects used to establish injury models, the methods used for the assessment of the injuries, and the indicators implemented to evaluate the success of injury model establishment in studies on biological effects induced by microwave radiation.

iTRAQ quantitatively proteomic analysis of the hippocampus in a rat model of accumulative microwave-induced cognitive impairment

Central nervous system is sensitive and vulnerable to microwave radiation. Numerous studies have reported that microwave could damage cognitive functions, such as impairment of learning and memory ability. However, the biological effects and mechanisms of accumulative microwave radiation on cognitive functions were remained unexplored. In this study, we analyzed differential expressed proteins in rat models of microwave-induced cognitive impairment by iTRAQ high-resolution proteomic method. Rats were exposed to 2.856 GHz microwave (S band), followed by 1.5 GHz microwave exposure (L band) both at an average power density of 10 mW/cm² (SL10 group). Sham-exposed (control group), 2.856 GHz microwave-exposed (S10 group), or 1.5 GHz microwave-exposed (L10 group) rats were used as controls. Hippocampus was isolated, and total proteins were extracted at 7 days after exposure, for screening differential expressed proteins. We found that accumulative microwave exposure induced 391 differential expressed proteins, including 9 downregulated and 382 upregulated proteins. The results of GO analysis suggested that the biological processes of these proteins were related to the adhesion, translation, brain development, learning and memory, neurogenesis, and so on. The cellular components mainly focused on the extracellular exosome, membrane, and mitochondria. The molecular function contained the protein complex binding, protein binding, and ubiquitin-protein transferase activity. And, the KEGG pathways mainly included the synaptic vesicle cycle, long-term potentiation, long-term depression, glutamatergic synapse, and calcium signaling pathways. Importantly, accumulative exposure (SL10 group) caused more differential expressed proteins than single exposure (S10 group or L10 group). In conclusion, 10 mW/cm² S or L band microwave induced numerous differential expressed proteins in the hippocampus, while accumulative exposure evoked strongest responses. These proteins were closely associated with cognitive functions and were sensitive to microwave.

Recent advances in the effects of microwave radiation on brains

This study concerns the effects of microwave on health because they pervade diverse fields of our lives. The brain has been recognized as one of the organs that is most vulnerable to microwave radiation. Therefore, in this article, we reviewed recent studies that have explored the effects of microwave radiation on the brain, especially the hippocampus, including analyses of epidemiology, morphology, electroencephalograms, learning and memory abilities and the mechanisms underlying brain dysfunction. However, the problem with these studies is that different parameters, such as the frequency, modulation, and power density of the radiation and the irradiation time, were used to evaluate microwave radiation between studies. As a result, the existing data exhibit poor reproducibility and comparability. To determine the specific dose-effect relationship between microwave radiation and its biological effects, more intensive studies must be performed.