Absence of mutagenic effects of 2.45 GHz radiofrequency exposure in spleen, liver, brain, and testis of lacZ-transgenic mouse exposed in utero

Abstract

A possible mutagenic effect of 2.45 GHz radiofrequency exposure was examined using lacZ-transgenic Muta™ mice. Pregnant animals were exposed intermittently at a whole-body averaged specific absorption rate of 0.71 W/kg (10 seconds on, 50 seconds off which is 4.3 W/kg during the 10 seconds exposure). Offspring that were exposed in utero for 16 hours a day, from the embryonic age of 0 to 15 days, were examined at 10 weeks of age. To minimize thermal effects, the exposure was given in repeated bursts of 10 seconds of exposure followed by 50 seconds of no exposure. Mutation frequencies at the lacZ gene in spleen, liver, brain, and testis were similar to those observed in non-exposed mice. Quality of mutation assessed by sequencing the nucleotides of mutant DNAs revealed no appreciable difference between exposed and non-exposed samples. The data suggest that the level of radiofrequency exposure studied is not mutagenic when administered in utero in short repeated bursts. © 2004 Tohoku University Medical Press.