Development and validation of reverberation-chamber type whole-body exposure system for mobile-phone frequency

Exploring and validating heating dynamics in a radio-frequency electromagnetic field-based resonant chamber for mouse hyperthermia research

Mild whole-body hyperthermia has been shown to have anti-tumor effects through an immune-modulating mechanism. Before it is widely applied in the clinic, tremendous mechanistic research in animals is necessary to adhere to evidence-based principles. The radio frequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) based heating facility could be a good choice for hyperthermia treatment, but the heating characteristics of a facility, including structure design, electromagnetic and thermal dosimetry, and the biologic effects of hyperthermia, need to be well elucidated. Here, we reported the heating characteristic study on a resonant chamber (RC) excited by a 1800 MHz solid source. The EMF in the RC was stirred by 24 static reflectors, which resulted in the standard deviation of electric field intensity being below 3 dB in the EM homogeneity evaluation. For the exposure scenario, six free-moving mice were loaded into separate cases and exposed simultaneously in the RC. The EMF energy absorption and distribution in exposed mice were calculated with the 12-plane-waves method of numerical simulation. Different levels of core body temperature increment in exposed mice were achieved through regulation of the source output power. Overexpression of heat shock proteins (HSPs) was detected in the liver, lung and muscle, but not in the brain of the exposed mice. The levels of representative inflammatory cytokines in the serum, TNF-α and IL-10 increased post RC exposure. Based on the heating characteristic study and validation, the applied RC would be a qualified heating system for mild whole-body hyperthermia effect research in mice.

The Protective Effects of EMF-LTE against DNA Double-Strand Break Damage In Vitro and In Vivo

With the rapid growth of the wireless communication industry, humans are extensively exposed to electromagnetic fields (EMF) comprised of radiofrequency (RF). The skin is considered the primary target of EMFs given its outermost location. Recent evidence suggests that extremely low frequency (ELF)-EMF can improve the efficacy of DNA repair in human cell-lines. However, the effects of EMF-RF on DNA damage remain unknown. Here, we investigated the impact of EMF-long term evolution (LTE, 1.762 GHz, 8 W/kg) irradiation on DNA double-strand break (DSB) using the murine melanoma cell line B16 and the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT. EMF-LTE exposure alone did not affect cell viability or induce apoptosis or necrosis. In addition, DNA DSB damage, as determined by the neutral comet assay, was not induced by EMF-LTE irradiation. Of note, EMF-LTE exposure can attenuate the DNA DSB damage induced by physical and chemical DNA damaging agents (such as ionizing radiation (IR, 10 Gy) in HaCaT and B16 cells and bleomycin (BLM, 3 μM) in HaCaT cells and a human melanoma cell line MNT-1), suggesting that EMF-LTE promotes the repair of DNA DSB damage. The protective effect of EMF-LTE against DNA damage was further confirmed by attenuation of the DNA damage marker γ-H2AX after exposure to EMF-LTE in HaCaT and B16 cells. Most importantly, irradiation of EMF-LTE (1.76 GHz, 6 W/kg, 8 h/day) on mice in vivo for 4 weeks reduced the γ-H2AX level in the skin tissue, further supporting the protective effects of EMF-LTE against DNA DSB damage. Furthermore, p53, the master tumor-suppressor gene, was commonly upregulated by EMF-LTE irradiation in B16 and HaCaT cells. This finding suggests that p53 plays a role in the protective effect of EMF-LTE against DNA DSBs. Collectively, these results demonstrated that EMF-LTE might have a protective effect against DNA DSB damage in the skin, although further studies are necessary to understand its impact on human health.

Biological Effects of Exposure to a Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field on the Placental Barrier in Pregnant Rats

The placenta protects the fetus against excessive stress‐associated maternal cortisol during pregnancy. We studied whether exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF‐EMF) radiation during pregnancy can cause changes in dams and their placentas. Pregnant Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into cage‐control, sham‐exposed, and RF‐exposed groups. They were exposed to RF‐EMF signals at a whole‐body specific absorption rate of 4 W/kg for 8 h/day from gestational Day 1 to 19. Levels of cortisol in the blood, adrenal gland, and placenta were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticotropin‐releasing hormone were monitored in maternal blood. Expression levels of placental 11β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11β‐HSD2) messenger RNA (mRNA) were measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Morphological changes in the placenta were analyzed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Fetal parts of the placenta were measured using Zen 2.3 blue edition software. Maternal cortisol in circulating blood (RF: 230 ± 24.6 ng/ml and Sham: 156 ± 8.3 ng/ml) and the adrenal gland (RF: 58.3 ± 4.5 ng/ml and Sham: 30 ± 3.8 ng/ml) was significantly increased in the RF‐exposed group (P < 0.05). Placental cortisol was stably maintained, and the level of placental 11β‐HSD2 mRNA expression was not changed in the RF‐exposed group. RF‐EMF exposure during pregnancy caused a significant elevation of cortisol levels in circulating blood; however, no changes in the placental barrier were observed in pregnant rats. Bioelectromagnetics. © 2021 Bioelectromagnetics Society

Influences of exposure to 915-MHz radiofrequency identification signals on serotonin metabolites in rats: a pilot study

PURPOSE

The influences of radiofrequency electromagnetic exposure on animal health, particularly on serotonin metabolism, are not well-elucidated. In this in vivo study, we studied the influences of exposure to radiofrequency identification (RFID) signals on serotonin metabolism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to sham (n = 10) and RFID-exposed (n = 12) groups. Rats in the RFID-exposed group were exposed to RFID signals at an average whole-body specific absorption rate of 2 W/kg for 8 h/day, 5 days/week for 2 weeks. Before and after RFID exposure, 24-h urine was collected from each rat. Urinary tryptophan, 5-hydroxytryptophan, serotonin, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, and 5-methoxyindole-3-acetic acid concentrations were examined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and changes in the patterns of values were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Urinary levels of serotonin decreased by 20% (p = .041, Student's t-test) and 40% (p = .024, Student's t-test) in both the sham and RFID-exposed groups, respectively. The level of 5-methoxyindole-3-acetic acid decreased by 30% in the RFID-exposed group (p = .039, Student's t-test).

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that exposure to RFID signals at a specific absorption rate of 2 W/kg is sufficient to alter serotonin metabolism in rats regardless of whether the exposure level is considered biohazardous.

Performance of parallel FDTD method for shared- and distributed-memory architectures: Application tobioelectromagnetics

This work provides an in-depth computational performance study of the parallel finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The parallelization is done at various levels including: shared- (OpenMP) and distributed- (MPI) memory paradigms and vectorization on three different architectures: Intel's Knights Landing, Skylake and ARM's Cavium ThunderX2. This study contributes to prove, in a systematic manner, the well-established claim within the Computational Electromagnetic community, that the main factor limiting FDTD performance, in realistic problems, is the memory bandwidth. Consequently a memory bandwidth threshold can be assessed depending on the problem size in order to attain optimal performance. Finally, the results of this study have been used to optimize the workload balancing of simulation of a bioelectromagnetic problem consisting in the exposure of a human model to a reverberation chamber-like environment.

Exposure Assessment in Millimeter-Wave Reverberation Chamber Using Murine Phantoms

This study deals with the design and calibration of the first mode-stirred reverberation chamber (RC) in the 60-GHz-band adapted for in vivo bioelectromagnetic studies. In addition to the interface for electromagnetic and thermal dosimetry, the interfaces for lighting and ventilation were integrated into the RC walls while preserving acceptable shielding. The RC with mechanical and electronic steering capabilities is characterized in the 55-65 GHz range. To this end, murine skin-equivalent phantoms of realistic shape were designed and fabricated. Their complex permittivity is within ±12% of the target value of murine skin (6.19-j5.81 at 60 GHz). The quality factor of the RC loaded with an animal cage, bedding litter, and five murine phantoms was found to be 1.2 × 10⁴ . The losses inside the RC were analyzed, and it was demonstrated that the main sources of the power dissipation were the phantoms and mice cage. The input power required to reach the average incident power density of 1 and 5 mW/cm² was found to be 0.23 and 1.14 W, respectively. Surface heating of the mice models was measured in the infrared (IR) range using a specifically designed interface, transparent at IR and opaque at millimeter waves (mmW). Experimental results were compared with an analytical solution of the heat transfer equation and to full-wave computations. Analytical and numerical results were in very good agreement with measurements (the relative deviation after 90 min of exposure was within 4.2%). Finally, a parametric study was performed to assess the impact of the thermophysical parameters on the resulting heating. Bioelectromagnetics. 2020;41:121-135. © 2020 Bioelectromagnetics Society.

Effect of Exposure to a Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field on Body Temperature in Anesthetized and Non-Anesthetized Rats

Exposure to a radiofrequency (RF) signal at a specific absorption rate (SAR) of 4 W/kg can increase the body temperature by more than 1 °C. In this study, we investigated the effect of anesthesia on the body temperature of rats after exposure to an RF electromagnetic field at 4 W/kg SAR. We also evaluated the influence of body mass on rats' body temperature. Rats weighing 225 and 339 g were divided into sham- and RF-exposure groups. Each of the resulting four groups was subdivided into anesthetized and non-anesthetized groups. The free-moving rats in the four RF-exposure groups were subjected to a 915 MHz RF identification signal at 4 W/kg whole-body SAR for 8 h. The rectal temperature was measured at 1-h intervals during RF exposure using a small-animal temperature probe. The body temperatures of non-anesthetized, mobile 225 and 339 g rats were not significantly affected by exposure to an RF signal. However, the body temperatures of anesthetized 225 and 339 g rats increased by 1.9 °C and 3.3 °C from baseline at 5 and 6 h of RF exposure, respectively. Three of the five 339 g anesthetized and exposed rats died after 6 h of RF exposure. Thus, anesthesia and body mass influenced RF exposure-induced changes in the body temperature of rats. Bioelectromagnetics. 2020;41:104-112. © 2019 Bioelectromagnetics Society.

A Systematic Review of In Vitro and In Vivo Radio Frequency Exposure Methods

Recently, interest in the effects of radio frequency (RF) on biological systems has increased and is partially due to the advancements and increased implementations of RF into technology. As research in this area has progressed, the reliability and reproducibility of the experiments has not crossed multidisciplinary boundaries. Therefore, as researchers, it is imperative to understand the various exposure systems available as well as the aspects, both electromagnetic and biological, needed to produce a sound exposure experiment. This systematic review examines common RF exposure methods for both in vitro and in vivo studies. For in vitro studies, possible biological limitations are emphasized. The validity of the examined methods, for both in vitro and in vivo, are analyzed by considering the advantages and disadvantages of each. This review offers guidance for researchers to assist in the development of an RF exposure experiment that crosses current multidisciplinary boundaries.

Eight hours of nocturnal 915 MHz radiofrequency identification (RFID) exposure reduces urinary levels of melatonin and its metabolite via pineal arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase activity in male rats

PURPOSE

We investigated the effects of whole-body exposure to the 915 MHz radiofrequency identification (RFID) on melatonin biosynthesis and the activity of rat pineal arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Rats were exposed to RFID (whole-body specific absorption rate, 4 W/kg) for 8 h/day, 5 days/week, for weeks during the nighttime. Total volume of urine excreted during a 24-h period was collected after RFID exposure. Urinary melatonin and 6-hydroxymelatonin sulfate (6-OHMS) was measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. AANAT enzyme activity was measured using liquid biphasic dif-13 fusion assay. Protein levels and mRNA expression of AANAT was 14 measured by Western blot and reverse transcription polymerase 15 chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis, respectively.

RESULTS

Eight hours of nocturnal RFID exposure caused a significant reduction in both urinary melatonin (p = 0. 003) and 6-OHMS (p = 0. 026). Activity, protein levels, and mRNA expression of AANAT were suppressed by exposure to RFID (p < 0. 05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that nocturnal RFID exposure can cause reductions in the levels of both urinary melatonin and 6-OHMS, possibly due to decreased melatonin biosynthesis via suppression of Aanat gene transcription in the rat pineal gland.

Metabolomic study of urinary polyamines in rat exposed to 915 MHz radiofrequency identification signal

Metabolomic analysis of urinary polyamines (PAs) from rat exposed to 915 MHz radiofrequency identification (RFID) signal for 8 h/day for 2 weeks was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as N-ethoxycarbonyl/N-pentafluoropropionyl derivatives. Large alterations in nine PA levels including four aliphatic and five acetylated PAs were monitored in sham-exposed and RFID-exposed groups. Total PA and urinary levels of N (1)-acetylputrescine, N (1)-acetylcadaverine, putrescine, cadaverine, N (1)-acetylspermidine, N (8)-acetylspermidine, spermidine and spermine were reduced, whereas N (1)-acetylspermine was significantly increased after sham and RFID exposure compared with those before exposure. Their levels were normalized to the corresponding group means before exposure and then plotted into star symbol patterns. N (1)-Acetylspermine after RFID exposure was 54 % higher compared to the level before RFID exposure, while it was elevated by only 17 % in the sham group. The results suggest that 915 MHz RFID exposure may induce metabolic disturbance of PA. It may also elevate spermidine/spermine acetyltransferase (SSAT) activity. Thus, the present metabolic profiling combined with star pattern recognition method might be useful for understanding the complexity of biochemical events after exposure to RFID signal.

A reverberation chamber for rodents' exposure to wideband radiofrequency electromagnetic fields with different small-scale fading distributions

A reverberation chamber (RC) is realized for the rodents' in vivo exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) with various small-scale fading characteristics. Its performance is evaluated to ensure the exposure experiments from 0.85 to 2.60 GHz. By different configurations, line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight exposures can be established. The measured electric field in the RC is analyzed to determine its statistical distribution. We accordingly reconstruct the EMF environment by numerical methods. Simulations are carried to compare the dosimetric variability due to different small-scale fading characteristics. It demonstrates that the surveyed fading distribution will not change the specific absorption rate in the rats. The possibility to reproduce the realistic multi-reflective EMF environment by adjusting the structures of the RC is discussed. It is the first reported in vivo exposure system aiming to provide the EMF exposure with different small-scale fading distributions.

Effects of whole-body exposure to 915 MHz RFID on secretory functions of the thyroid system in rats

As a part of an investigation on the potential risks of radiofrequency identification (RFID) on human health, we studied whether exposure to 915 MHz RFID in rats significantly affected the secretory function of the thyroid system. A reverberation chamber was used as a whole-body exposure system. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed for 8 h per day, 5 days per week, for a duration of 2, 4, 8, or 16 weeks. The estimated whole-body average specific absorption rate (SAR) varied from 3.2 to 4.6 W/kg depending on the age/mass of the animals for the field of the 915 MHz RFID reader. Plasma levels of triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were evaluated via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Morphological changes in the thyroid gland were then analyzed. No changes in T3, T4, or TSH were observed over time between the sham- and RFID-exposed groups. We suggest that subchronic exposure to 915 MHz RFID at a SAR of 4 W/kg does not cause significant effects on thyroid secretory function.

The effects of exposure to 915 MHz radiofrequency identification on cerebral glucose metabolism in rat: a [F-18] FDG micro-PET study

PURPOSE

We investigated the effect of whole-body exposure to 915-MHz radiofrequency identification (RFID) on rat cortical glucose metabolism by using (18)F-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: Cage-control, sham-exposed and RFID-exposed groups. Rats were exposed to the 915-MHz RFID for 8 h daily, 5 days per week, for 2 or 16 weeks. The whole-body average specific absorption rate (SAR) was 4 W/kg for the field of the 915 MHz RFID signal. FDG-PET images were obtained the day after RFID exposure, using micro-PET with a FDG tracer. With a Xeleris functional imaging workstation, absolute values in regions of interest (ROI) in the frontal, temporal and parietal cortexes and cerebellum were measured. Cortical ROI values were normalized to the cerebellar value and compared.

RESULTS

The data showed that the relative cerebral glucose metabolic rate was unchanged in the frontal, temporal and parietal cortexes of the 915 MHz RFID-exposed rats, compared with rats in cage-control and sham-exposed groups.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that 915 MHz RFID radiation exposure did not cause a significant long lasting effect on glucose metabolism in the rat brain.

Cylindrical waveguide electromagnetic exposure system for biological studies with unrestrained mice at 1.9 GHz

This paper presents the development of an in vivo exposure system for exposing small rodents. The system consists of four identical cylindrical waveguide chambers, each with a plastic cage for housing the animal. The chamber is fed by circularly polarized radiofrequency power in the 1.9 GHz cellular frequency band and is vertically mounted so that the long axis of the animal is co-planar with the rotating incident electric field. Power sensors were used along with directional or hybrid couplers and a digital voltmeter for data acquisition for real-time dose rate monitoring. The system was tested to evaluate its dose rate performance when a mouse phantom or a mouse cadaver was inside the cage. The dose rate was quantified in terms of whole-body-average (WBA) specific absorption rate (SAR) per input power using both measurement and computational methods. The exposures of the mouse phantom and cadaver were evaluated for various possible postures and positions. The measurement results showed that the highest WBA-SAR was 16.9 W kg per 1 W incident power when the cadaver was lying prone against the cage wall and the lowest WBA-SAR was 10.4 W kg per 1 W incident power when the cadaver was standing upright in the cage center. These results were found to be in good agreement with those obtained from the computational method.

Whole-body new-born and young rats' exposure assessment in a reverberating chamber operating at 2.4 GHz

This paper presents the whole-body specific absorption rate (WBSAR) assessment of embryos and new-born rats' exposure in a reverberating chamber (RC) operating at 2.4 GHz (WiFi). The finite difference in time domain (FDTD) method often used in bio-electromagnetism is facing very slow convergence. A new simulation-measurement hybrid approach has been proposed to characterize the incident power related to the RC and the WBSAR in rats, which are linked by the mean squared electric field strength in the working volume. Peak localized SAR in the rat under exposure is not included in the content of the study. Detailed parameters of this approach are determined by simulations. Evolutions for the physical and physiological parameters of the small rats at different ages are discussed. Simulations have been made to analyse all the variability factors contributing to the global results. WBSAR information and the variability for rats at different ages are also discussed in the paper.