Objective: To investigate the effects of low intensity microwave (900MHz) electromagnetic fields (EMF) on energy metabolism of cerebral cortical neurons in postnatal rat.
Methods: Neurons were exposed to low intensity 900MHz continuous microwave EMF (9mW/cm2, SAR = 3.22mW/g) for 2 hours per day in 4 or 5 consecutive days and for 12 hours at a time. The authors chose cytochrome oxidase (CCO) as the biological end.
Results: The results of cytochemistry showed that compared to the sham-exposed, a significant decrease of cytochrome oxidase activity in neurons exposed for 2 hours per day and the neurons exposed for 12 hours to be immediately experimented (P < 0.001).
Conclusion: Down-regulation of CCO should be classified as 'non-thermal effects'. Cumulated power effect were observed in neuronal response to the microwave. The influence on the CCO of the chosen microwave EMF could be recovered to some extent. The effects had no close relation between the first exposure and the cultured age of neurons.