Effects of 5.8 GHz microwave on hippocampal synaptic plasticity of rats

International journal of environmental health research · 2021 · No effect · Low evidence

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No effectLow evidencePaper 1093

Study snapshot

PublicationInternational journal of environmental health research · 2021

Study typeanimal

Reported directionNo effect

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Effects of 5.8 GHz microwave on hippocampal synaptic plasticity of rats Gang Rui, Li-Yuan Liu, Ling Guo, Yi-Zhe Xue, Pan-Pan Lai, Peng Gao, Jun-Ling Xing, Jing Li, Gui-Rong Ding. Effects of 5.8 GHz microwave on hippocampal synaptic plasticity of rats. Int J Environ Health Res. 2021 Jul 22;1-13. doi: 10.1080/09603123.2021.1952165. Abstract Objective 5.8 GHz spectrum is gaining more attention in wireless technology. To explore the potential hazards, we investigated the effect of exposure to 5.8 GHz microwave on learning and memory ability of rats. Methods Morris Water maze (MWM), Novel object recognition (NOR) and Fear conditioning test (FCT) were used to evaluate the ability of spatial and non-spatial memory of rats. The hippocampal morphology, the level of brain injury factors in serum and the mitochondrial membrane potential of hippocampal neurons was examined to evaluate the damage of hippocampal neurons. The density of dendritic spines, the ultrastructure of synapses and the level of PSD95, Synaptophysin, p-CREB and CREB were detected to evaluate the hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Results Compared with Sham group, there was no significant difference in the performance of ethology (in MWM, NOR, FCT) in Microwave 2 h group or Microwave 4 h group. The hippocampal morphology, the serum level of brain injury factors and the content of mitochondrial JC-1 monomer in Microwave 2 h group or Microwave 4 h group did not change obviously, compared with Sham group. The density of dendritic spines, the ultrastructure of synapse and the level of PSD95, Synaptophysin, p-CREB and CREB in hippocampus in Microwave 2 h group or Microwave 4 h group did not significantly change, compared with Sham group. Conclusion Under this experimental condition, exposure to 5.8 GHz microwave could not affect the hippocampal synaptic plasticity of rats. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typeanimal

Effect directionno_effect

Populationrats

Sample sizeNot supplied

Exposuremicrowave · 5800 MHz · 2 h; 4 h

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Compared with sham, rats exposed to 5.8 GHz microwave for 2 h or 4 h showed no significant differences in behavioral memory tests, hippocampal morphology, serum brain injury factors, mitochondrial JC-1 monomer content, dendritic spine density, synapse ultrastructure, or levels of PSD95, Synaptophysin, p-CREB and CREB. The authors conclude that under these experimental conditions 5.8 GHz exposure did not affect hippocampal synaptic plasticity.

Outcomes measured

Learning and memory performance (Morris Water Maze, Novel Object Recognition, Fear Conditioning Test)
Hippocampal morphology
Serum brain injury factors
Mitochondrial membrane potential indicator (JC-1 monomer content) in hippocampal neurons
Dendritic spine density
Synapse ultrastructure
Hippocampal synaptic plasticity-related proteins (PSD95, Synaptophysin, p-CREB, CREB)

Limitations

Sample size not reported in abstract
Exposure intensity/dosimetry (e.g., SAR) not reported in abstract
Exposure regimen details beyond duration not reported in abstract

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "microwave",
    "source": "other",
    "frequency_mhz": 5800,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "2 h; 4 h"
  },
  "population": "rats",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Learning and memory performance (Morris Water Maze, Novel Object Recognition, Fear Conditioning Test)",
    "Hippocampal morphology",
    "Serum brain injury factors",
    "Mitochondrial membrane potential indicator (JC-1 monomer content) in hippocampal neurons",
    "Dendritic spine density",
    "Synapse ultrastructure",
    "Hippocampal synaptic plasticity-related proteins (PSD95, Synaptophysin, p-CREB, CREB)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Compared with sham, rats exposed to 5.8 GHz microwave for 2 h or 4 h showed no significant differences in behavioral memory tests, hippocampal morphology, serum brain injury factors, mitochondrial JC-1 monomer content, dendritic spine density, synapse ultrastructure, or levels of PSD95, Synaptophysin, p-CREB and CREB. The authors conclude that under these experimental conditions 5.8 GHz exposure did not affect hippocampal synaptic plasticity.",
  "effect_direction": "no_effect",
  "limitations": [
    "Sample size not reported in abstract",
    "Exposure intensity/dosimetry (e.g., SAR) not reported in abstract",
    "Exposure regimen details beyond duration not reported in abstract"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "5.8 GHz",
    "microwave",
    "rats",
    "hippocampus",
    "synaptic plasticity",
    "learning and memory",
    "Morris Water Maze",
    "novel object recognition",
    "fear conditioning",
    "PSD95",
    "Synaptophysin",
    "CREB"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "5g-policy",
      "weight": 0.2,
      "reason": "Uses 5.8 GHz spectrum relevant to wireless technology, though this is an animal experiment rather than policy."
    }
  ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2021.1952165
PubMed: 34293966

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