Thermal Mechanisms of Millimeter Wave Stimulation of Excitable Cells

Interactions between millimeter waves (MMWs) and biological systems have received increasing attention due to the growing use of MMW radiation in technologies ranging from experimental medical devices to telecommunications and airport security. Studies have shown that MMW exposure alters cellular fu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biophysical journal 2013-06, Vol.104 (12), p.2622-2628
Main Authors: Shapiro, Mikhail G., Priest, Michael F., Siegel, Peter H., Bezanilla, Francisco
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
absorbance
action potentials
Action Potentials - radiation effects
Animals
Cell Membrane - metabolism
Cell Membrane - physiology
Cells
Channels and Transporters
Drosophila - chemistry
Frogs
Loligo - chemistry
medical equipment
Membranes
muscles
Neurons
oocytes
Potassium
potassium channels
Radio Waves
Shaker Superfamily of Potassium Channels - metabolism
Sodium
sodium channels
sodium-potassium-exchanging ATPase
Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase - metabolism
telecommunications
Thermodynamics
Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels - metabolism
Xenopus
Xenopus laevis
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Summary:Interactions between millimeter waves (MMWs) and biological systems have received increasing attention due to the growing use of MMW radiation in technologies ranging from experimental medical devices to telecommunications and airport security. Studies have shown that MMW exposure alters cellular function, especially in neurons and muscles. However, the biophysical mechanisms underlying such effects are still poorly understood. Due to the high aqueous absorbance of MMW, thermal mechanisms are likely. However, nonthermal mechanisms based on resonance effects have also been postulated. We studied MMW stimulation in a simplified preparation comprising Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing proteins that underlie membrane excitability. Using electrophysiological recordings simultaneously with 60 GHz stimulation, we observed changes in the kinetics and activity levels of voltage-gated potassium and sodium channels and a sodium-potassium pump that are consistent with a thermal mechanism. Furthermore, we showed that MMW stimulation significantly increased the action potential firing rate in oocytes coexpressing voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels, as predicted by thermal terms in the Hodgkin-Huxley model of neurons. Our results suggest that MMW stimulation produces significant thermally mediated effects on excitable cells via basic thermodynamic mechanisms that must be taken into account in the study and use of MMW radiation in biological systems.
ISSN:0006-3495
1542-0086
DOI:10.1016/j.bpj.2013.05.014