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Abstract
Four rabbits were sham-exposed
and four were exposed to 2450-MHz CW radiation for six months. Daily duration
of exposure was 23 h and continued across 180 consecutive days. The rabbits
were exposed at the University
of Washington by Dr.
Arthur W. Guy. A companion paper to this one provides details of the method
used to expose the animals. The power density at the body axis of the animals
was 7 m
W/cm² and at the head location, 10
m W/cm². The measured peak specific absorption rate
(SAR) in the head was 17 W/kg, and the maximum average whole body SAR as
determined from calculations assuming a prolate
spheroid geometry was 1.5 W/kg. Blood samples were drawn for hematologic and serum-chemistry analyses immediately
after termination of exposure. Eosinophil
percentage, albumin and calcium levels were significantly lower in exposed
than in control rabbits. Thirty days after termination of exposure no change
in hematological parameters was observed, but a
significant decrease in albumin/total globulin ratio was measured in the
exposed animals. The animals were euthanized thirty days after termination of
exposure. No pathologic differences were detected in tissue samples. Analysis
of bone marrow from the sternum showed a significant increase in the myeloid/erythroid ratio in the exposed animals. Splenic lymphocytes were stimulated by three different mitogens: phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A and pokeweed. Lymphocytes from exposed
animals showed a significant suppression in responsiveness to pokeweed mitogen.
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