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    Neurosci Lett. 2006 May 8;398(3):253-7. Epub 2006 Jan 27.

    Chronic exposure to GSM 1800-MHz microwaves reduces excitatory synaptic activity in cultured hippocampal neurons.

    Xu S, Ning W, Xu Z, Zhou S, Chiang H, Luo J.

    Department of Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310031, China.

    The world wide proliferation of mobile phones raises the concern about the health effects of 1800-MHz microwaves on the brain. The present study assesses the effects of microwave exposure on the function of cultured hippocampal neurons of rats using whole cell patch-clamp analysis combined with immunocytochemistry. We showed that chronic exposure (15 min per day for 8 days) to Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) 1800-MHz microwaves at specific absorption rate (SAR) of 2.4 W/kg induced a selective decrease in the amplitude of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-soxazole propionic acid (AMPA) miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs), whereas the frequency of AMPA mEPSCs and the amplitude of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) mEPSCs did not change. Furthermore, the GSM microwave treatment decreased the expression of postsynaptic density 95 (PSD95) in cultured neurons. Our results indicated that 2.4 W/kg GSM 1800-MHz microwaves may reduce excitatory synaptic activity and the number of excitatory synapses in cultured rat hippocampal neurons.

    PMID: 16443327 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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