Study type: Medical/biological study (experimental study)

TP53 tumor suppressor protein in normal human fibroblasts does not respond to 837 MHz microwave exposure med./bio.

By: Li JR, Chou CK, McDougall JA, Dasgupta G, Wu HH, Ren RL, Lee A, Han J, Momand J
Published in: Radiat Res 1999; 151 (6): 710-716
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Aim of study (acc. to author)

To evaluate whether exposure to cellular telephone fields (837 MHz microwaves) can increase TP53 protein level in human fibroblasts in vitro.
The expression level of the TP53 tumor suppressor protein (formerly named as p53) was chosen due to the fact that TP53 responds to a wide variety of environmental stressors.

Endpoint

Exposure

Exposure Parameters
Exposure 1: 837 MHz
Modulation type: CW
Exposure duration: continuous for 2 h
  • SAR: 0.9 W/kg peak value
  • SAR: 9 W/kg peak value

Exposure 1

Main characteristics
Frequency 837 MHz
Type
Exposure duration continuous for 2 h
Modulation
Modulation type CW
Exposure setup
Exposure source
Chamber Two 60 x 15-mm cell culture dishes (with 3 ml of culture medium) were placed side by side, on the central line in the direction of propagation, on each of the two shelves in the upper and lower chambers of a TEM cell (8 x 10 x 30 cm).
Setup Power was coupled to the TEM cell through a power meter, and from the cell into a 600-W RF load.
Additional info sham-exposure: same conditions, but without microwave exposure positive control: exposure to UV radiation (254 nm) for no more than 1 min to achieve 50 J/m² negative control: dishes were just left in the incubator
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
SAR 0.9 W/kg peak value measured and calculated - -
SAR 9 W/kg peak value measured and calculated - -
Measurement and calculation details

Average and peak SAR were calculated from temperature increases in insulated culture dishes with 5.5 ml of culture medium. Four dishes were used for each exposure and a total of 56 exposures were averaged. According to the calculation of Guy et al. (see reference article) the peak SAR at the bottom of the culture dish (where the cells are located) is approx. three times the average SAR.

Reference articles

Exposed system:

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

Investigated system:
Time of investigation:
  • after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

The TP53 protein expression levels in cultured human fibroblast cells do not change significantly. Also the microscopic analysis revealed that human fibroblast did not show significant changes in the negative control cells, sham-irradiated cells, and microwave-irradiated cells.

Study character:

Study funded by

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