• experimental
  
• epidemiological
  

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Medical/biological Study (experimental study)

Induction of adaptive response in human blood lymphocytes exposed to radiofrequency radiation. med./biol.

PubMed Entry

Journal web site

Aim of study (according to author)
To study whether non-ionizing radiofrequency exposure, given as an adaptation dose for 20 h, renders the cells refractory to the genetic damage induced by a subsequent challenge dose with the genotoxic agent mitomycin C.
Background/further details:
Adaptive response: Different cell types that were exposed to an extremely small adaptation dose of a genotoxic agent were found to be less susceptible to the induction of genetic damage when given a higher challenge dose of the same or similar genotoxic agent. The induction of an adaptive response was shown to be influenced by several factors (e.g. the dose used for adaptation, the dose rate, the time between the adaptation and challenge doses).
Lymphocytes of five differnt donors were investigated.

Endpoint

• genotoxicity/mutation: DNA damage (micronucleus formation)

Exposure
General category: mobile phone, radio frequency field

Field characteristics	Parameters
900 MHz exposure duration: continuous for 20 h	SAR: 10 W/kg peak value (brain) SAR: 1.25 W/kg average over mass (brain)

Exposed system:
intact cell/cell culture (in vitro)

Methods
Endpoint/Measurement parameters/Methodology

• genotoxicity/mutation: micronucleus formation (cytokinesis block micronucleus assay; Giemsa stain; light microscopy)
• cell viability/cell division/proliferation: cytotoxicity (proliferation index (M1+2M2+3(M3+M4)/total number of cells; M1 to M4: number of cells with 1 to 4 nuclei); binucleate cell index (percentage of binucleated cells))

Main outcome of study (according to author)
Lymphocytes of four donors exhibited the induction of an adaptive response. Cells that were pre-exposed to 900 MHz radiofrequency irradiation had a significantly decreased incidence of micronuclei induced by the challenge dose of mitomycin C compared to those that were not pre-exposed to 900 MHz radiofrequency irradiation. However, induction of the adaptive response was not observed in the remaining fifth donor. The incidence of micronuclei induced by the challenge dose of mitomycin C was not significantly different between the pre-exposed and unexposed lymphocytes.
In conclusion, the data obtained in this preliminary investigation indicated that radiofrequency exposure at a frequency in use for wireless communications are capable of inducing an adaptive response in human blood lymphocytes. Further research is needed regarding whether an adaptive response can be elicited in other in vitro and in vivo experimental conditions (including various frequencies, different SAR values, timing of adaptation etc.).

(Study character: medical/biological study, experimental study, pilot/exploratory/preliminary study)

Study funded by

• not stated

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