Relationship between field strength and arousal response in mice exposed to 60-Hz electric fields

✍ Scribed by Richard S. Rosenberg; Peter H. Duffy; George A. Sacher; Dr. Charles F. Ehret

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1983
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 659 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0197-8462
• DOI: 10.1002/bem.2250040208

✦ Synopsis

White-footed mice, Pernmyscus leuropus, were exposed to 60-Hz electric fields to study the relationship between held itrength and three rneaiure\ of the lransient arousal responre pieviously reported to occur \ k i t h cwpo\urei at I00 kV;rn. Five groups of 12 mice each were given a series of four I-h exposures. separated by an hour, with each group exposed at one of thc following field strengths: 75. 50, 35, 25, and 10 kVim; 8 additional mice were sham-exposed with no voltage applied to the field generator. All mice were experimentally naive before the start of the experitnent, and all exposures occurred during the inactive (lights-on) phase of the circadian cycle. The first exposure produced immediate increases in arousal measures, but subsequent exposures had no significant effect on any measure. These arousal responses were defined by significant increases of gross motor activity, carbon dioxide production, and oxygen consumption, and were frequently recorded with field strengths of 50 kVim or higher. Significant arousal responses rarely occurred with exposures at lower field strengths. Responses of mice exposed at 75 and 50 kVim were similar tci previously described transient arousal responses in mice exposed to 100-kV!rn electric fields. Less than half of the mice in each of the field strength groups below SO kVim showcd arousal responses based on Z (standard) scores. but the arousals of the mice that did respond were similar to those of mice exposed at higher field strengths. Polynoniial rcgrc<ion R a i uicd to calculate the field htrenzth producing the greatest increases tor cach ot the arouial nicaiurcs. The resultx show that the amplitude of the transient arciusal respon5e IS related to thc itrength of the electric tield. hut different measures of arousal may haw different rclation\hip\ to field \trcngth.