Effects of microwave exposure on the hamster immune system. II. Peritoneal macrophage function

✍ Scribed by G. Rama Rao; Dr. Charles A. Cain; J. Lockwood; W. A. F. Tompkins

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1983
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 893 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0197-8462
• DOI: 10.1002/bem.2250040205

✦ Synopsis

Acute exposure of hamsters to microwave energy (2.45 GHz; 25 mW/cm2 for 60 min) resulted in activation of peritoneal macrophages that were significantly more viricidal to vaccinia virus as compared to sham-exposed or normal (minimum-handling) controls. Macrophagcs from microwave-exposed ham5ters became activated as early as 6 h after cxposure and remained activated for up to 12 days. The activation of macrophages by microwave exposure paralleled the macrophage activation after vaccinia virus immunization. '4ctivated macrophages from vacciniaimmunized hamsters did not differ in their viricidal activity when the hamsters were microwaveor sham-exposed. Exposure for 60 min at 15 mWicmZ did not activate the macrophages while 40 mW/cm2 exposure was harmful to some hamsters. Average maximum core temperatures in the exposed (25 mW/cm') and sham groups were 40.5 "C (+_0.35 SD) and 38.4 "C ( 2 0 . 5 SD). respectively. In vitro heating of macrophages to 40.5 "C was not as effective as in vivo microwave exposure in activating macrophages to the viricidal state. Macrophages from normal, shamexposed, and microwavc-exposcd hamsters were not morphologically different, and they all phagocytosed India ink particles. Moreover, immune macrophage cytotoxicity for virus-infected or noninfected target cclls was not suppressed in the microwave-irradiated group (25 mW/cni*, I h) as compared to sham-exposed controls, indicating that peritoneal macrophages werc not functionally suppressed or injured by microwave hyperthermia.