Naltrexone pretreatment blocks microwave-induced changes in central cholinergic receptors.
Lai H, Carino MA, Wen YF, Horita A, Guy AW · 1991
View Original AbstractMicrowave radiation at 0.6 W/kg SAR altered brain receptors through the opioid system, suggesting current safety limits miss non-thermal biological effects.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to microwave radiation at 2450 MHz (the same frequency as WiFi and microwave ovens) and found it altered brain receptors involved in memory and learning. When they gave the rats naltrexone (a drug that blocks opioid receptors) before exposure, it prevented these brain changes. This suggests microwave radiation affects the brain through the body's natural opioid system.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a concerning mechanism by which microwave radiation affects brain chemistry. The researchers found that exposure at just 0.6 W/kg SAR - well below current safety limits - altered cholinergic receptors in brain regions critical for memory and cognition. What makes this particularly significant is that blocking the opioid system prevented these changes, suggesting EMF exposure triggers a stress response involving the body's natural pain-relief mechanisms. The fact that different exposure durations produced opposite effects (increases vs decreases in receptors) indicates the brain's adaptive response to this artificial stimulus. This research adds to a growing body of evidence that current safety standards, which only consider heating effects, miss important biological impacts occurring at much lower power levels.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.6 W/kg
- Power Density
- 1 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 2450 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- Ten 20-min sessions.
Exposure Context
This study used 1 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 100Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 1.7Mx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
This study used 0.6 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 1.5x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.4 W/kg
Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
The aim of this study is to investigate Naltrexone pretreatment blocks microwave-induced changes in central cholinergic receptors.
Repeated exposure of rats to pulsed, circularly polarized microwaves (2,450-MHz, 2-microseconds puls...
These findings, which confirm earlier work in the authors' laboratory, were extended to include pretreatment of rats with the narcotic antagonist naltrexone (1 mg/kg, IP) before each session of exposure. The drug treatment blocked the microwave-induced changes in cholinergic receptors in the brain. These data further support the authors' hypothesis that endogenous opioids play a role in the effects of microwaves on central cholinergic systems.
Show BibTeX
@article{h_1991_naltrexone_pretreatment_blocks_microwaveinduced_1134,
author = {Lai H and Carino MA and Wen YF and Horita A and Guy AW},
title = {Naltrexone pretreatment blocks microwave-induced changes in central cholinergic receptors.},
year = {1991},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2012619/},
}