Microwave radiation and thermal effects on the bioenergetics of isolated mitochondria

Abstract

Aims: This study proposes to investigate the effects of microwave radiation and its thermal effects, compared to thermal effects alone, on the bioenergetics of mitochondria isolated from mouse liver.

Methods: The main parameters investigated in this study are mitochondrial respiration (coupled states: S3 and S4; uncoupled state), using a high-resolution respirometer, and swelling, using a spectrophotometer.

Results: Mitochondria irradiated at 2.45 GHz microwave with doses 0.085, 0.113 and 0.141 kJ/g, presented a decrease in S3 and uncoupled state, but an increase in S4. Conversely, mitochondria thermally treated at 40, 44 and 50 °C presented an increasing in S3 and S4, while uncoupled state was unaltered. Mitochondrial swelling increases as a function of the dose or temperature, indicating membrane damages in both cases.

Conclusion: Microwave radiation and thermal effect alone indicated different bioenergetics mitochondria response. These results imply that the effects due to microwave in medical treatment are not exclusively due to the increase in temperature, but a combination of electromagnetic and thermal effects.

Keywords: Electromagnetic radiation; bioenergetics; microwave; mitochondria; thermal effects.