Immune responses of a wall lizard to whole-body exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation

Oxidative Stress Response of Honey Bee Colonies (Apis mellifera L.) during Long-Term Exposure at a Frequency of 900 MHz under Field Conditions

In this study, oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in honey bee larvae, pupae and the midguts of adult bees were investigated during a one-year exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) at a frequency of 900 MHz under field conditions. The experiment was carried out on honey bee colonies at three locations with electric field levels of 30 mV m-1, 70 mV m-1 and 1000 mV m-1. Antioxidant enzymes, glutathione-S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) as indicators of lipid peroxidation were measured spectrophotometrically. The GST activity within the same developmental stage showed no significant differences regardless of electric field level or sampling time. The highest GST activity was found in the pupae, followed by activity in the larvae and midguts. Both CAT activity and TBARS concentration were the highest in the midguts, regardless of field level and sampling time. The larvae showed a significantly higher TBARS concentration at the location with an electric field level of 1000 mV m-1 compared to the locations with lower levels. Our results show that RF-EMFs at a frequency of 900 MHz can cause oxidative stress in honey bees, with the larval stage being more sensitive than the pupal stage, but there was no linear relationship between electric field level and effect in any of the developmental stages.

Interactions between electromagnetic radiation and biological systems

Even though the bioeffects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) have been extensively investigated during the past several decades, our understandings of the bioeffects of EMR and the mechanisms of the interactions between the biological systems and the EMRs are still far from satisfactory. In this article, we introduce and summarize the consensus, controversy, limitations, and unsolved issues. The published works have investigated the EMR effects on different biological systems including humans, animals, cells, and biochemical reactions. Alternative methodologies also include dielectric spectroscopy, detection of bioelectromagnetic emissions, and theoretical predictions. In many studies, the thermal effects of the EMR are not properly controlled or considered. The frequency of the EMR investigated is limited to the commonly used bands, particularly the frequencies of the power line and the wireless communications; far fewer studies were performed for other EMR frequencies. In addition, the bioeffects of the complex EM environment were rarely discussed. In summary, our understanding of the bioeffects of the EMR is quite restrictive and further investigations are needed to answer the unsolved questions.

Electrosmog and autoimmune disease

Studies in mice have shown that environmental electromagnetic waves tend to suppress the murine immune system with a potency similar to NSAIDs, yet the nature of any Electrosmog effects upon humans remains controversial. Previously, we reported how the human Vitamin-D receptor (VDR) and its ligand, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D (1,25-D), are associated with many chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. We have shown how olmesartan, a drug marketed for mild hypertension, acts as a high-affinity partial agonist for the VDR, and that it seems to reverse disease activity resulting from VDR dysfunction. We here report that structural instability of the activated VDR becomes apparent when observing hydrogen bond behavior with molecular dynamics, revealing that the VDR pathway exhibits a susceptibility to Electrosmog. Further, we note that characteristic modes of instability lie in the microwave frequency range, which is currently populated by cellphone and WiFi communication signals, and that the susceptibility is ligand dependent. A case series of 64 patient-reported outcomes subsequent to use of a silver-threaded cap designed to protect the brain and brain stem from microwave Electrosmog resulted in 90 % reporting “definite” or “strong” changes in their disease symptoms. This is much higher than the 3–5 % rate reported for electromagnetic hypersensitivity in a healthy population and suggests that effective control of environmental Electrosmog immunomodulation may soon become necessary for successful therapy of autoimmune disease.

Local and systemic immune responses to different types of phytohemagglutinin in the green anole: Lessons for field ecoimmunologists

The phytohemagglutinin (PHA) skin test is commonly used by ecologists to assess cell-mediated immune function of wild animals. It can be performed quickly and easily in the field, involving injection of PHA and measurement of the resultant swelling. There are multiple formulations of PHA used in ecological studies, with potentially differing outcomes that could produce inconsistent results. We tested two common types of PHA in the green anole (Anolis carolinensis) to identify local and systemic immune responses underlying the resultant swelling at 6, 18, 24, and 48 hr post injection. There were differences in both local (injection site) and systemic (blood) leukocyte responses to PHA-L versus PHA-P. PHA-P injection produced a greater overall increase in local heterophil count at the injection site compared with PHA-L, and this response was greatest at 6 and 24 hr post injection. Systemically, heterophil percentage was higher in the blood of PHA-P- versus PHA-L-injected anoles at 24 hr post injection; the time point at which heterophil percentage peaked in PHA-P-injected anoles. These results indicate that although both PHA types are effective tests of immune function in green anoles, the PHA-P swelling response invokes a much stronger heterophilic response. PHA-L is a more specific test of lymphocyte function, particularly at 24 hr post injection, making it preferable for ecoimmunology studies.