Non-thermal effects of 2.45 GHz microwaves on spindle assembly, mitotic cells and viability of Chinese hamster V-79 cells
Authors not listed · 2011
Continuous 2.45 GHz microwave exposure for 15 minutes increased aberrant spindles and apoptosis while decreasing mitotic index in V79 Chinese hamster cells.
Plain English Summary
Researchers studied mitotic spindle disturbances and apoptosis activation in V79 Chinese hamster cells exposed to continuous 2.45 GHz microwaves to investigate non-thermal cell damage. Exposure for 15 minutes significantly increased the proportion of aberrant spindles and apoptotic cells and decreased the mitotic index compared with untreated cells. Control heating experiments showed that spindle assembly was unaffected up to 41°C and apoptosis occurred only at 40°C, a temperature higher than that reached during microwave exposure.
Why This Matters
The microwave exposure at the water resonance frequency induced alterations of the mitotic apparatus and apoptosis as a function of the applied power densities, together with a moderate reduction in cell division rate. To separate radiofrequency effects from thermal effects, the researchers also heated cells in a thermostatic bath that mimicked the temperature rise recorded during microwave exposure. The authors hypothesized that short-time microwave exposures cause reversible mitotic spindle alterations that act as a pro-apoptotic signal in V79 cells.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Show BibTeX
@article{non_thermal_effects_of_245_ghz_microwaves_on_spindle_assembly_mitotic_cells_and_viability_of_chinese_hamster_v_79_cells_ce708,
author = {Unknown},
title = {Non-thermal effects of 2.45 GHz microwaves on spindle assembly, mitotic cells and viability of Chinese hamster V-79 cells},
year = {2011},
doi = {10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2011.07.009},
}