[Effects of the microwave exposure at elevated ambient temperature on the thermo-compensatory responses of small laboratory animals]

Thermogenic effectiveness of electromagnetic irradiation (EMI) of UHF range (7 GHz) in the dependence on intensity (10-50 mW/cm2) and environmental temperature (22 degrees and 30 degrees C) was studied in experiments with mice and rats. Negative influence of high ambient temperature on thermoregulate responses of animals at microwave exposure was showed. It is concluded that this interaction should been taken into account for hygienic standardization of non-ionizing EMI.

Local heating of human skin by millimeter waves: A kinetics study

Heating rates of human skin exposed locally to 42.25 GHz mm waves, coming from a waveguide (WG) opening or a YAV device designed for therapeutic application, were studied in vivo using infrared (IR) thermography. For both radiators, the power density distribution was described by a circularly symmetrical Gaussian type function on the exposed skin surface. Insertion of a small thermocouple (d = 0.1 mm) in the exposed area did not produce any significant artifact, either in the power density distribution or kinetics measurement, providing it was perpendicular to the E vector. The heating kinetics in the skin exposed with either the WG opening or the YAV device were well fitted to solutions of the 2-D bio-heat transfer equation for homogeneous tissue. Changes in irradiating beam size (1-8 mm) had no detectable effect on the initial (0.3-3.0 s) phase of the heating kinetics. However, the amplitude of the kinetics decreased substantially with decreasing the beam size. As the temperature rise in the time interval necessary for reliable measurement of the initial temperature rise rate was very small, an accurate experimental determination of specific absorption rate (SAR) becomes practically impossible at the low intensities normally used in our experiments. The correct SAR values may be found from fitting of the model to the heating kinetics. Bioelectromagnetics 24:571-581, 2003.

Model analysis of tissue responses to transient and chronic heating

Thermal models are used to analyze responses of muscle and lung tissue to transient (30-45 min) and chronic (4-7 week) heating in vivo. The general bioheat model, which describes one-dimensional temperature dynamics, incorporates heat conductance and perfusion. In general, perfusion changes with time and distance from a heated surface. One of the main objectives of this study was to analyze long-term perfusion change, which reflects tissue adaptation associated with angiogenesis. The database for these models was obtained using heated disks implanted in calves for up to seven weeks. Tissue temperature distributions were obtained repeatedly from thermistors protruding 1 to 10 mm from the heated disk surface. The perfusion parameter was estimated from the transient experiments at least several times each week by nonlinear, least-squares fitting of the model predicted temperature to the measured temperature response. Chronic heating at a heat flux 0.08 W/cm2 caused perfusion of muscle tissue to increase with postimplant day (PID). Under the same conditions, lung tissue perfusion increased with chronic heating from early to late PID, but less than that for muscle tissue. During chronic heating above 42 degrees C and below 50 degrees C, a decrease in tissue temperature is associated with higher perfusion that develops with time. Over seven weeks, perfusion of muscle tissue near the heated disk surface increased by about 70% at 0.08 W/cm2 and 40% at 0.06 W/cm2. Furthermore, the model can be used to predict tissue and perfusion changes continuously over weeks for heat fluxes around 0.08 W/cm2.

Skin temperature changes induced by strong static magnetic field exposure

High intensity static magnetic fields, when applied to the whole body of the anesthetized rat, have previously been reported to decrease skin temperature. The hypothesis of the present study was that in diamagnetic water, molecules in the air play significant roles in the mechanism of skin temperature decrease. We used a horizontal cylindrical superconducting magnet. The magnet produced 8 T at its center. A thermistor probe was inserted in a subcutaneous pocket of the anesthetized rats to measure skin temperature. Animals (n=10) were placed in an open plastic holder in which the ambient air was free to move in any direction (group I). Animals (n=10) were placed in a closed holder in which the air circulation toward the direction of weak magnetic field was restricted (group II). Each holder was connected to a hydrometer to measure humidity around the animal in the holder. The data acquisition phase consisted of a 5 min baseline interval, followed by inserting the animal together with the holder into the center of the magnet bore for a 5 min exposure and a 5 min postexposure period outside the bore. In group I, skin temperature and humidity around the animal significantly decreased during exposure, followed by recovery after exposure. In group II, skin temperature and humidity did not decrease during the measurement. The skin temperature decrease was closely related to the decrease in humidity around the body of the animal in the holder, and the changes were completely blocked by restricting the air circulation in the direction of the bore entrance. Possible mechanisms responsible for the decrease in skin temperature may be associated with magnetically induced movement of water vapor at the skin surface, leading to skin temperature decrease.

Thermal heating of human tissue induced by electromagnetic fields of magnetic resonance imaging

The paper presents a simulation of the transient temperature distribution in the human body caused by induced eddy currents during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In a first simulation the validity of the used heat conduction equation was proven using a simple example of a cool-down-process of a sphere. Thereafter the heating of a phantom model with an implanted electrode placed in a MRI-System (active body coil) was examined. The resulting increase in temperature was compared with existing measurements. Finally the implications of the heating of the tissue are discussed based on the observed experimental and numerical results.

Specific absorption rate and temperature elevation in a subject exposed in the far-field of radio-frequency sources operating in the 10-900-MHz range

The exposure of a subject in the far field of radiofrequency sources operating in the 10-900-MHz range has been studied. The electromagnetic field inside an anatomical heterogeneous model of the human body has been computed by using the finite-difference time-domain method; the corresponding temperature increase has been evaluated through an explicit finite-difference formulation of the bio-heat equation. The thermal model used, which takes into account the thermoregulatory system of the human body, has been validated through a comparison with experimental data. The results show that the peak specific absorption rate (SAR) as averaged over 10 g has about a 25-fold increase in the trunk and a 50-fold increase in the limbs with respect to the whole body averaged SAR (SARWB). The peak SAR as averaged over 1 g, instead, has a 30- to 60-fold increase in the trunk, and up to 135-fold increase in the ankles, with respect to SARWB. With reference to temperature increases, at the body resonance frequency of 40 MHz, for the ICNIRP incident power density maximum permissible value, a temperature increase of about 0.7 degrees C is obtained in the ankles muscle. The presence of the thermoregulatory system strongly limits temperature elevations, particularly in the body core.

[Effects of microwave radiation on conditioned behavior of rats]

Research has been carried out to investigate the effects of microwave exposure (7 GHz, surface energy density 10-50 mW/cm2, SAR 2.1-10.5 W/kg) on learned behaviors of rats in the paradigm of conditioned avoidance reflex. It was shown that transitory reductions in conditioned behavior after acute microwave exposure occurred at an SAR equal to the intensity of rat basal metabolism. It was found cumulative effects for intermittent exposures of rats at a power density of 10 mW/cm2.

[Thermocompensatory reactions of rabbits in response to microwave irradiation at different environmental temperatures]

Thermogenic effectiveness of electromagnetic irradiation (EMI) of UHF range (7 GHz) in the dependence on intensity (10-100 mW/cm2) and environmental temperature was studied in experiments with rabbits. Synergistic interaction of EMI and high ambient temperature was established. The existence of optimal EMI and high ambient temperature was established. The existence of optimal EMI intensity at which the synergy was maximal was shown. It is concluded that this interaction should be taken into account for hygienic standardization of nonionizing EMI.

Human exposure to 2450 MHz CW energy at levels outside the IEEE C95.1 standard does not increase core temperature

Permission was received from the Brooks AFB Institutional Review Board and the AF Surgeon General's Office to exceed the peak power density (PD = 35 mW/cm(2)) we had previously studied during partial body exposure of human volunteers at 2450 MHz. Two additional peak PD were tested (50 and 70 mW/cm(2)). The higher of these PD (normalized peak local SAR = 15.4 W/kg) is well outside the IEEE C95.1 guidelines for partial body exposure, as is the estimated whole body SAR approximately 1.0 W/kg. Seven volunteers (four males, three females) were tested at each PD in three ambient temperatures (T(a) = 24, 28, and 31 degrees C) under our standard protocol (30 min baseline, 45 min RF exposure, 10 min baseline). The thermophysiological data (esophageal and six skin temperatures, metabolic heat production, local sweat rate, and local skin blood flow) were combined with comparable data at PD = 0, 27, and 35 mW/cm(2) from our 1999 study to generate response functions across PD. No change in esophageal temperature or metabolic heat production was recorded at any PD in any T(a). At PD = 70 mW/cm(2), skin temperature on the upper back (irradiated directly) increased 4.0 degrees C in T(a) = 24 degrees C, 2.6 degrees C in T(a) = 28 degrees C, and 1.8 degrees C in T(a) = 31 degrees C. These differences were primarily due to the increase in local sweat rate, which was greatest in T(a) = 31 degrees C. Also at PD = 70 mW/cm(2), local skin blood flow on the back increased 65% over baseline levels in T(a) = 31 degrees C, but only 40% in T(a) = 24 degrees C. Although T(a) becomes an important variable when RF exposure exceeds the C95.1 partial body exposure limits, vigorous heat loss responses of blood flow and sweating maintain thermal homeostasis efficiently. It is also clear that strong sensations of heat and thermal discomfort will motivate a timely retreat from a strong RF field, long before these physiological responses are exhausted. Published 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Partial-body exposure of human volunteers to 2450 MHz pulsed or CW fields provokes similar thermoregulatory responses

Many reports describe data showing that continuous wave (CW) and pulsed (PW) radiofrequency (RF) fields, at the same frequency and average power density (PD), yield similar response changes in the exposed organism. During whole-body exposure of squirrel monkeys at 2450 MHz CW and PW fields, heat production and heat loss responses were nearly identical. To explore this question in humans, we exposed two different groups of volunteers to 2450 MHz CW (two females, five males) and PW (65 micros pulse width, 10(4) pps; three females, three males) RF fields. We measured thermophysiological responses of heat production and heat loss (esophageal and six skin temperatures, metabolic heat production, local skin blood flow, and local sweat rate) under a standardized protocol (30 min baseline, 45 min RF or sham exposure, 10 min baseline), conducted in three ambient temperatures (T(a) = 24, 28, and 31 degrees C). At each T(a), average PDs studied were 0, 27, and 35 mW/cm2 (Specific absorption rate (SAR) = 0, 5.94, and 7.7 W/kg). Mean data for each group showed minimal changes in core temperature and metabolic heat production for all test conditions and no reliable differences between CW and PW exposure. Local skin temperatures showed similar trends for CW and PW exposure that were PD-dependent; only the skin temperature of the upper back (facing the antenna) showed a reliably greater increase (P =.005) during PW exposure than during CW exposure. Local sweat rate and skin blood flow were both T(a)- and PD-dependent and showed greater variability than other measures between CW and PW exposures; this variability was attributable primarily to the characteristics of the two subject groups. With one noted exception, no clear evidence for a differential response to CW and PW fields was found.

Effects of solar radiation and feeding time on behavior, immune response and production of lactating ewes under high ambient temperature

A 6-wk trial was performed with 40 late-lactation Comisana ewes, which were either exposed to or protected from solar radiation and fed either in the morning (EXPM, PROM) or afternoon (EXPA, PROA) during summer in a Mediterranean climate. Behavioral traits of ewes were recorded once per week from 0800 to 2000 h. Rectal temperature (RT) and respiration rate (RR) were measured twice weekly at 1430 h. The phytohemagglutinin (PHA) skin test was performed to induce nonspecific delayed-type hypersensitivity at d 10, 20, and 32 of the experiment. Jugular blood samples were taken from ewes at the beginning and at d 21 and 42 of the experiment. Ewe milk yield was recorded daily. Individual milk samples were analyzed weekly for milk composition, coagulating properties, somatic cell count (SCC) and polymorphonuclear neutrophil leukocyte counts (PMNLC) and every 2 wk for bacteriological characteristics. Solar radiation and the interaction of solar radiation x time of feeding had significant effects on rectal temperatures. EXPM ewes had higher rectal temperatures than EXPA ewes, which in turn exhibited higher RT compared with PROM and PROA ewes. EXP groups also had significantly higher respiration rates than PRO groups. Immune response was lower in EXPM ewes at d 10 and in EXPM, EXPA, and PROM animals at d 20 compared with PROA ewes. Exposure to solar radiation resulted in decreased plasma concentrations of alanine amino-transferase, alkaline phosphatase, potassium, and magnesium, as well as in increased levels of nonesterified fatty acids and aspartate amino-transferase. Milk yield and composition were not changed by exposure to solar radiation and time of feeding, but the EXPM treatment resulted in lower yields of casein and fat and reduced clot firmness compared with the three other treatments. Milk SCC was similar across treatments, but PMNLC was higher in EXPM than in PROM and PROA milk. EXPM animals also had the greatest amounts of total and fecal coliforms and of Pseudomonadaceae as well as the highest number of mastitis related pathogens in their milk. Results suggest that provision of shaded areas can play a major role in helping lactating ewes to minimize the adverse effects of high ambient temperatures on thermal balance and energy and mineral metabolism. Changing the time of feeding to late afternoon may be beneficial to exposed ewes in lowering their heat loads during the warmest hours of the day, thereby reducing the detrimental impact of thermal stress on immune function and udder health.

[Experimental estimation of thermogenic levels of acute microwave exposure for different animal species]

In experiments on laboratory animals it was found the different patterns of reactions in response to acute thermogenic 7 GHz CW microwave exposures. The effects were related specifically to the intensity of the field. SAR equal 0.5-0.7 power of basal metabolism of different species did not result in increase of body temperature. At SARs over intensity of basal metabolism (up to 1.5-2.0 basal metabolism for the mice and for the rats and up to 1.5 for the rabbits) the "stepped" pattern of body heating with periods of rectal temperature stabilization was observed. This results may have implications for prognostic estimation of dose-temporal limits of endurable intensities of microwaves.

Body heating induced by sub-resonant (350 MHz) microwave irradiation: cardiovascular and respiratory responses in anesthetized rats

These experiments were designed to investigate the effects of sub-resonant microwave (MW) exposure (350 MHz, E orientation, average power density 38 mW/cm2, average whole-body specific absorption rate 13.2 W/kg) on selected physiological parameters. The increase in peripheral body temperature during 350 MHz exposure was greater than that in earlier experiments performed at 700 MHz (resonance). Heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure were significantly elevated during a 1 degree C increase in colonic temperature due to 350 MHz exposure; respiratory rate showed no significant change. The results are consistent with other investigators' reports comparing sub-resonance exposures with those at resonance and above.

A thermal model for human thresholds of microwave-evoked warmth sensations

Human thresholds for skin sensations of warmth were measured at frequencies from 2.45 to 94 GHz. By solving the one-dimensional bioheat equation, we calculated the temperature increase at the skin surface or at a depth of 175 microm at incident power levels corresponding to the observed thresholds. The thermal analysis suggests that the thresholds correspond to a localized temperature increase of about 0.07 degrees C at and near the surface of the skin. We also found that, even at the highest frequency of irradiation, the depth at which the temperature receptors are located is not a relevant parameter, as long as it is within 0.3 mm of the surface. Over the time range of the simulation, the results of the thermal model are insensitive to blood flow, but sensitive to thermal conduction; and this sensitivity increases strongly with frequency. We conclude with an analysis of the effect of thermal conduction on surface temperature rise, which becomes a dominant factor at microwave frequencies over 10 GHz.

Regional brain heating during microwave exposure (2.06 GHz), warm-water immersion, environmental heating and exercise

Nonuniform heating may result from microwave (MW) irradiation of tissues and is therefore important to investigate in terms of health and safety issues. Hypothalamic (Thyp), cortical (Tctx), tympanic (Tty), and rectal (Tre) temperatures were measured in rats exposed in the far field, k-polarization (i.e., head pointed toward the transmitter horn and E-field in vertical direction) to two power densities of 2.06 GHz irradiation. The high-power density (HPM) was 1700 mW/cm2 [specific absorption rate (SAR): hypothalamus 1224 W/kg; cortex 493 W/kg]; the low-power density (LPM) was 170 mW/cm2 (SAR: hypothalamus 122.4 W/kg; cortex 49.3 W/kg). The increase (rate-of-rise, in degrees C/s) in Thyp was significantly greater than those in Tctx or Tre when rats were exposed to HPM. LPM produced more homogeneous heating. Quantitatively similar results were observed whether rats were implanted with probes in two brain sites or a single probe in one or the other of the two sites. The qualitative difference between regional brain heating was maintained during unrestrained exposure to HPM in the h-polarization (i.e., body parallel to magnetic field). To compare the temperature changes during MW irradiation with those produced by other modalities of heating, rats were immersed in warm water (44 degrees C, WWI); exposed to a warm ambient environment (50 degrees C, WSED); or exercised on a treadmill (17 m/min 8% grade) in a warm ambient environment (35 degrees C, WEX). WWI produced uniform heating in the regions measured. Similar rates-of-rise occurred among regions following WSED or WEX, thus maintaining the pre-existing gradient between Thyp and Tctx These data indicate that HPM produced a 2-2.5-fold difference in the rate-of-heating within brain regions that were separated by only a few millimeters. In contrast, more homogeneous heating was recorded during LPM or nonmicrowave modalities of heating.

Light-dark differences in the effects of ambient temperature on gaseous metabolism in newborn rats

Body temperature (T(b)) of rat pups (7-9 days old) raised under a 12:12-h light-dark (L-D) regimen (L: 0700-1900, D: 1900-0700) was consistently higher in D than in L by approximately 1.1 degrees C. We tested the hypothesis that the L-D differences in T(b) were accompanied by differences in the set point of thermoregulation. Measurements were performed on rat pups at 7-9 days after birth. O(2) consumption (VO(2)) and CO(2) production (VCO(2)) were measured with an open-flow method during air breathing, as ambient temperature (T(a)) was decreased from 40 to 15 degrees C at the constant rate of 0.5 degrees C/min. At T(a) >/=33 degrees C, VO(2) was not significantly different between L and D, whereas VCO(2) was higher in L, suggesting a greater ventilation. Over the 33 to 15 degrees C range the VO(2) values in D exceeded those in L by approximately 30%. Specifically, the difference was contributed by differences in thermogenesis at T(a) = 30 to 20 degrees C. As T(a) was decreased, the critical temperature at which VO(2) began to rise was lower in L. We conclude that the higher T(b) of rat pups in D is accompanied by a higher set point for thermoregulation and a greater thermogenesis. These results are consistent with the idea that, in newborns, endogenous changes in the set point of thermoregulation contribute to the circadian oscillations of T(b).

Human exposure at two radio frequencies (450 and 2450 MHz): similarities and differences in physiological response

Thermoregulatory responses of heat production and heat loss were measured in two different groups of seven adult volunteers (males and females) during 45-min dorsal exposures of the whole body to 450 or 2450 MHz continuous-wave radio frequency (RF) fields. At each frequency, two power densities (PD) were tested at each of three ambient temperatures (T(a) = 24, 28, and 31 degrees C) plus T(a) controls (no RF). The normalized peak surface specific absorption rate (SAR), measured at the location of the subject's center back, was the same for comparable PD at both frequencies, i.e., peak surface SAR = 6.0 and 7.7 W/kg. No change in metabolic heat production occurred under any exposure conditions at either frequency. The magnitude of increase in those skin temperatures under direct irradiation was directly related to frequency, but local sweating rates on back and chest were related more to T(a) and SAR. Both efficient sweating and increased local skin blood flow contributed to the regulation of the deep body (esophageal) temperature to within 0.1 degrees C of the baseline level. At both frequencies, normalized peak SARs in excess of ANSI/IEEE C95.1 guidelines were easily counteracted by normal thermophysiological mechanisms. The observed frequency-related response differences agree with classical data concerning the control of heat loss mechanisms in human beings. However, more practical dosimetry than is currently available will be necessary to evaluate realistic human exposures to RF energy in the natural environment.

Light masking of circadian rhythms of heat production, heat loss, and body temperature in squirrel monkeys

Whole body heat production (HP) and heat loss (HL) were examined to determine their relative contributions to light masking of the circadian rhythm in body temperature (Tb). Squirrel monkey metabolism (n = 6) was monitored by both indirect and direct calorimetry, with telemetered measurement of body temperature and activity. Feeding was also measured. Responses to an entraining light-dark (LD) cycle (LD 12:12) and a masking LD cycle (LD 2:2) were compared. HP and HL contributed to both the daily rhythm and the masking changes in Tb. All variables showed phase-dependent masking responses. Masking transients at L or D transitions were generally greater during subjective day; however, L masking resulted in sustained elevation of Tb, HP, and HL during subjective night. Parallel, apparently compensatory, changes of HL and HP suggest action by both the circadian timing system and light masking on Tb set point. Furthermore, transient HL increases during subjective night suggest that gain change may supplement set point regulation of Tb.

Effects of different light intensities during the daytime on circadian rhythm of core temperature in humans

The present study was to determine the effects of bright light exposure during the daytime on core temperature rhythm. Eight female students participated as subjects. They were exposed to bright light of 5000 lux or dim light of 200 lux for 13 hours (06:30-19:30) for two consecutive days. Except the sleep period (22:30-06:30) and during the bright light exposure, light intensity was controlled at 200 lux. Rectal temperature data were collected every 10 min throughout the whole experimental period. The mean level of rectal temperature was not significantly different between the bright and the dim light conditions. However, the evening fall and the morning rise of rectal temperature were significantly greater in the bright light conditions on Day 2 compared to the dim. Furthermore, cosinor analysis showed that the acrophase of rectal temperature rhythm was earlier on Day 2 in the bright light conditions than the dim, and was significantly delayed on Day 2 compared to Day 1 in the dim light conditions. These results suggest that low intensity during the daytime for two consecutive days may induce a phase delay of core temperature rhythm rather than the bright light exposure at least in normally entrained female subjects.

Effects of solar radiation, dietary energy, and time of feeding on thermoregulatory responses and energy balance in cattle in a hot environment

Ten growing heifers were either exposed to or protected from solar radiation, offered a diet of either high (H) or low (L) ME, and fed either in the morning or afternoon during a hot summer. Heifers that consumed the H diet had a greater water intake, DMI, metabolizable energy intake, energy expenditure, and retained energy than heifers that consumed the L diet. Solar radiation did not have an effect on any of these variables. Furthermore, dietary energy and time of measurement had an effect on rectal temperature (Tr), respiration rate (RR), heart rate (HR), and rate of oxygen uptake (VO2); solar radiation had an effect on Tr and RR but not on HR and VO2; and time of feeding had an effect only on VO2. Heifers coped with greater heat loads by increasing RR and the difference in Tr between morning and afternoon. It seems that a lowered body temperature in the morning is a physiological mechanism used by animals to prepare for the heat load that develops during the day. Heat production (HP) and HR throughout the day were affected mainly by the time of feeding and not by the environmental heat load. Feeding in the afternoon increased HP in the cooler hours of the day when heat losses from the animal through conduction and radiation were more efficient. With a pending high heat load situation, reducing feed quality and(or) changing the time of feeding to the late afternoon could be beneficial to the animals in reducing their heat loads.

[Dynamics of the changes in various integral indices of the functional state of the body of white rats during the prolonged action of x-radiation and external heat]

Effects of low doses of X-radiation (0.02 Gr. a session, for 25 days), external heat (daily 4-h exposure in a thermochamber at 37.0 degrees C) and combined (consecutive) action of these factors on mature Wistar male rats were studied. Experimental animals were somewhat behind in body mass increment during exposure to the physical factors as compared to control rats. Radiation promoted a rise in rectal temperature, external heating to its small decrease, while combined exposure to the factors levelled the effects. There were certain changes in the CNS, as indicated by a small increase in the summation-threshold index. The heart rate did not significantly change. The changes normalized within 1-5 weeks after cessation of the exposures.

Do metabolic responses to solar radiation scale directly with intensity of irradiance?

Endotherms exposed to air temperatures below thermal neutrality reduce their metabolic heat production when exposed to sunlight. The physiological effects of this additional source of heat gain from the environment usually are assumed to be proportional to the intensity of irradiance if other factors are held constant. We test this assumption by measuring changes in metabolic heat production produced by exposing a small mammal, the Siberian hamster (Phodopus sungorus) to four intensities of simulated solar radiation (0 W m-2, 317 W m-2, 634 W m-2 and 950 W m-2). In the absence of solar radiation, metabolic heat production is inversely correlated with air temperature over the measured range of 3-27 degrees C. The respiratory quotient varies significantly with ambient temperature, indicating that the catabolic substrate and the thermal equivalent of oxygen consumed or carbon dioxide produced also vary with temperature. The depression of metabolic heat production resulting from exposure to simulated solar radiation is not simply a multiple of the intensity of irradiance. Rather, metabolic responses to higher levels of irradiance are blunted by 14-29% compared with those expected on the basis of the response to less intense irradiance. Because changes in irradiance levels do not have simple linear effects upon the animal's metabolic heat production, even in a simplified situation, significant errors may accumulate in biophysical analyses in which an animal's responses to a restricted set of radiative conditions are measured and the results are extrapolated to a wider range observed in nature.

Age does not affect thermal and cardiorespiratory responses to microwave heating in calorically restricted rats

This study sought to determine whether age influences the thermal distribution and cardiorespiratory responses to 35 GHz microwave (MW) heating. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 8/group) 3 to 4 mo old (young), 15 to 16 mo old (middle-aged), and 24 to 25 mo old (old) were used. All animals were restricted to 63% of ad libitum feed. Rats were anesthetized (ketamine) and a catheter was placed into a carotid artery for measurement of mean arterial blood pressure (MAP). Anesthetized rats were then exposed to MWs until death, while measuring MAP, heart rate and temperatures at five sites (colonic, left and right tympanic, subcutaneous, and tail). Before MW exposure, there were no significant (p < .05) differences among age groups in measured parameters. MW produced increases in temperature at each of the measured sites; temperatures at death did not differ between groups. Heart rate increased throughout MW exposure, in a statistically identical manner in all age groups. MAP was initially well maintained and then, in the latter phases of heating, precipitously declined until death, with no discernible age-related difference. Respiration rate was not altered by MW exposure in any group. Finally, there were no group differences in the MW exposure time required to induce death. Thus, age does not alter thermal and cardiorespiratory responses to 35 GHz MW heating in food-restricted rats.