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Microwave bioeffects in the erythrocyte are temperature and pO 2 dependent: Cation permeability and protein shedding occur at the membrane phase transition

1984; Wiley; Volume: 5; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/bem.2250050215

1521-186X

Robert P. Liburdy, Arthur Penn,

Electromagnetic Fields and Biological Effects

Abstract Microwave exposure (2450 MHz, 60 mW/g, CW) of rabbit erythrocytes increases Na passive transport only at membrane phase transition temperatures (T c ) of 17–19°C. This permeability effect is enhanced for relative hypoxia which is characteristic of intracellular oxygen tension (pO 2 ⩽ 5 mm Hg). Neither the permeability nor the pO 2 effects are observed in temperature‐matched (± 0.05°C), sham‐exposed controls. In addition, at T c , microwave exposure is observed to induce the shedding or release of two erythrocyte proteins not seen in sham‐exposed controls. Moreover, the enhanced shedding of at least seven other proteins all of molecular weight ⩽ 28,000 D was detected in the microwave‐treated samples. Using sensitive silver staining we estimate that approximately 450 fg of protein were shed per erythrocyte. These results demonstrate that temperature and pO 2 are important influences on both functional and structural responses of cell membranes to microwave radiation.