Dispositivo experimental para exposiciones de GSM a 900 MHz y su aplicación al estudio de ratas epilépticas

Abstract

In this paper, an animal model of epilepsy, eight rats administered with a subconvulsive dose of picrotoxin, exposed to a GSM-modulated 900 MHz signal during a period of 2h are studied. For this purpose, an experimental set up suitable for controlled RF radiation in small mammals has been designed. The system consists of a metallic cage housing a metacrylate device for immobilisation of the animal and two antennas for transmission and reception respectively. Microwave circuitry is used to measure the power supplied to irradiate the animal and to control any possible spurious radiation inside the cage. The different experimental power values are used in the calculation, using a commercial FDTD application and a numerical rat phantom, of the 1-g averaged peak SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) and mean SAR values in the brain. Morphological results show that rats treated with picrotoxin and exposed to RF fields have higher levels of neuronal activity marker c-Fos than the untreated animals