Posted by treelaw45 TI on October 8, 2009 at 7:36pm
#677 Blood Brain Barrier(BBB) and Microwave Radiation vaccinesA question TIs have to be concerned with is the effects of chemical, nano particle in vaccines, pollution and in medicine since we have been exposed to low level microwave radiation and our Blood Brain Barrier(BBB) is likely damaged allowing these things to effect us differently than the average person.Peter Rosenholmhttp://tinyurl.com/yc65xuq5.3 Effects of Microwave Radiation Combined with Stress on the Integrityof the Blood Brain Barrier5.3.1 Description of WorkThe blood-brain barrier (BBB) maintains the brain environment, controllingentry of chemicals from the blood, insulating the brain from rapid changesin the concentration of hormones, ions, peptides and other items. Itsintegrity can be altered by disease states (e.g., tumors), physiologicalinsults, (e.g., hyperthermia). Veridian employees (George Lantrip, KavitaMajahan, Patrick Mason, Alexander Salazar, Clarence Theis) nearlycompleted the first stage in an ambitious project aimed at illuminatingthe1992 findings of L. Salford, who reported low levels of RFR allowalbumin to pass through the BB into the brain and A. Friedman, in 1996who reported that physical stress allows pyridostigmine (PYR) to enter thebrain. Experimental subjects in Phase I of this program experiencedstress in the form of 30 min of restraint. This was followed by asubcutaneous injection of 0.177 mg/kg PYR (ED99 dose for 40% serumCholinesterase [ChE] inhibition) and a 30-min exposure to continuouswave 915 MHz RFR at 20 W/kg (or sham exposure). Phase I resultsfailed to indicate any effect of restraint stress or RFR on BBB leakagerelative to sham-exposed subjects.The second phase will attempt to replicate the Salford experiments,examining the effects of continuous wave and modulated 915 MHz RFRon the integrity of the BBB. Post-exposure, subjects will be anesthetized;perfused intracardiac, and the brains removed and assayed using analbumin immunohistochemistry assay. To determine the effectiveness ofassays in revealing albumin leakage, the results from theimmunohistochemistry assay will be compared to those from labelingalbumin with Evan's Blue or sodium fluorescein.5.3.2 FundingAFRL 7757 project funds.5.3.3 RelevanceIn the early 90s, work by Salford postulated that exposure to very lowlevels of RFR affected the BBB, allowing albumin to enter the brain. Inaddition, laboratory results by A. Friedman in 1996. suggested thatphysical stress allows PYR, a nerve agent prophylactic, to enter the brain.Such findings, if true, could have an impact on the RFR safe exposurestandards and for U.S. military personnel exposed to stress and/or RFR.5.3.4 ProductsMiller, S.A., Murphy, M.R., Merritt, J. H., and Mason, P.A. Effects ofmicrowave exposure combined with stress on the integrity of the blood-37--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 44brain barrier (BBB). Society for Neuroscience Meeting, New Orleans, LA,2000.Miller, S.A., Murphy, M.R., Merritt, J. H., and Mason, P.A. Blood BrainBarrier (BBB) integrity following exposure to 915 MHz microwaves andrestraint stress. Seventh Annual Michaelson Research Conference, GigHarbor, WA, 200038--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 455.4 HPM Electrophysiology Program [Ultrawideband (UWB) RFR Studies]5.4.1 Description of WorkThe general programmatic question is " Are there any hazards associatedwith exposure to ultrawideband (UWB) pulses?" The specific question forthis project is can brain or muscle be affected by exposure to UWBpulses? Work began on this project in September 2000 and hascontinued into the new contract.For the initial screening study, the classic frog gastrocnemius musclepreparation was selected. This experimentally robust preparation hasbeen used since the time of Galvani and Volta, and it has provided muchof the information on how electrically excitable tissues respond toelectrical stimulation. Thus the dependent variable is well characterized,and the novelty is in the independent variable.One classic way of describing the response of electrically excitable tissueto stimulation is the strength-duration (S-D) curve. As the duration of thepulse is decreased, the current (and voltage) required to elicit a responseis increased. Plotting the S-D curve for muscle contraction involvesdetermining a series of thresholds for elicitation of a minimal-amplitudecontraction at multiple pulse durations, starting with long-duration stimuliof about 100 msec and going as short as the available pulse source canachieve. In the conventional biomedical literature, many S-D curves formuscle or nerve have been described down to 10 usee, and somepublished data exist at 1 usee. However, the immediate goal of thisproject is to complete the S-D curve down to 1 nsec, increasing the knowndomain by a factor of 1,000.Between September 2000 and October 2001, an electrophysiologylaboratory was designed and equipped; a Review Committee wasestablished to set the approach to be used in the first year; and biologicaland engineering methods were implemented. Four different sources, (1) aconventional Grass stimulator, and pulsers produced by the (2) Avtech, (3)Bournlea and (4) Velonex companies were used; each had its own pulseduration and voltage characteristics. A computerized experimental controland data acquisition system was used, and HP function generatorsprovided control over signal timing. The isotonic contractions of anisolated gastrocnemius muscle were measured by a transducer thatconverted muscle movement into an electrical signal that could berecorded and measured by an objective mathematical criterion; there wereno judges. Over a 10-hour experimental day, more than 300 data pointscould be acquired.The project completed the voltage S-D curve down to c. 4 nsec, producinga classically shaped plot. However, when pulse duration got shorter than39--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 46about 200 nsec, the signal showed severe ringing and the instrumentationapproach could not allow measurement of current or voltage. InNovember 2001, the Review Committee found the work so promising thatthey recommended taking the additional time to improve the approachused for signal delivery and measurement and then to reacquire the S-Dcurve in terms of current, the physiologically most relevant parameter. Bythe end of February 2002 substantial progress had been made on thesetasks. Ringing had been reduced considerably, and an approach allowingcurrent measure had been implemented.The initial current S-D curve acquired with the new arrangement showed asingle UWB pulse of c. 1 nsec and c. 30 A could elicit a contraction. Thisobservation provides an experimentally determined "figure of merit" thatcould be used to set a safety standard. The Review Committee posedseveral other questions relating to determining the general mechanism forthe observed effect and for establishing that possible artifacts were notresponsible for the observed responses. In the next year, the newlyimplemented methods will be refined, more extensive data will beacquired, and additional questions will be examined.5.4.2 Funding SourceAFRL 7757 project funding.5.4.3 RelevanceThe USAF is developing sources using UWB pulses.As part of this effort, safety standards must be developed for these newsources. In the late 21st century, key general questions about safety mostfrequently have included studies of possible effects on genes and cancerand on reproduction and development. In this case the USAF also isasking about the possibility of effects on electrically excitable tissues,which include muscles and nerves.5.4.4 ProductsTo date, four extensive project reports and a major briefing have beencompleted, and a presentation of the initial work will be made in June2002, at the 24th Annual Meeting of the Bioelectromagnetics Society.Rogers W.R., Merritt, J.H., Murphy, M.R., Barker, T., Kuhnel, C, andJohnson, L.H. Extension of the single-pulse, contact-stimulation strength-duration curve down to 5 nanoseconds. To be presented at the 24thAnnual Meeting of the Bioelectromagnetics Society. Quebec City,Quebec, Canada; June 2002.Rogers, W.R. Testing for Effects of High-Peak, Short-Pulse-WidthElectromagnetic Signals on Frog Muscle. Presentation to Review40--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 47Committee, November 15 and 16, 2001. Five hours, including lab tour;101 PowerPoint slides.Rogers, W.R. Testing for Effects of High-Peak, Short-Pulse-WidthElectromagnetic Signals on Frog Muscle. Internal USAF Report submittedNovember 11, 2001. 99 pp.Rogers, W.R. Testing for Effects of High-Peak, Short-Pulse-WidthElectromagnetic Signals on Frog Muscle. Internal USAF Report submittedAugust 3, 2001. 27 pp.Rogers, W.R. Testing for Effects of High-Peak, Short-Pulse-WidthElectromagnetic Signals on Frog Muscle. Internal USAF Report submittedJune 26, 2001. 63 ppRogers, W.R. Testing for Effects of High-Peak, Short-Pulse-WidthElectromagnetic Signals on Frog Muscle. Internal USAF Report submittedFebruary 15,21, 2001. 25 pp.41--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 485.5 Genetic Susceptibility of the Laboratory Rat {Rattus Novigicus) to aModel of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)5.5.1 Description of WorkBrain systems involved in the development of PTSD include thoseresponsible for the response to stress, and also those involved inbehavioral processes such as sensitization and fear conditioning. Littleresearch has been directed at the mechanisms underlying the possiblegenetic susceptibility for this maladaptive stress response. This might bepossible by examining stress responsivity in different strains of a givenspecies. We hypothesized that the genetic susceptibility to PTSD lies inthose brain systems and regions where the processes of behavioralplasticity (sensitization) and adaptation to stress converge. Beginning in2000, Veridian and AFRL scientists worked with colleagues at theUniversity of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) totest this hypothesis by examining genetically diverse strains of rats(Sprague Dawley, Lewis, Wistar, and Wistar Kyoto) in a fear-potentiatedstartle (FPS) paradigm. (The normal startle is a well-understood reflexiveresponse to mildly noxious stimuli, such as a burst of white noise.) TheFPS response involves classically conditioning fear to a previously non-feared stimulus (such as a light) by presenting it in conjunction with mildelectric footshock. Later, when the light is presented without the shock,the normal startle response is amplified.Data from Phases 1 and 2 have all been collected as of November 2001.Data from Phase 1 showed the appearance of FPS for some strains (e.g.,Sprague Dawley), but not others (e.g., Wistar Kyoto). Data from Phase 2,in which we tested the effect of a prior stressor (cold stressor task) on FPSin these same rat strains, yielded inconclusive results.5.5.2 FundingVeterans Administration5.5.3 RelevancePost-traumatic stress disorder may occur in individuals who experience atraumatic event. Although the incidence of PTSD among the generalpopulation is quite high (between 1% and 12%), the disorder is particularlyprevalent among veterans who have experienced war-related aggression.It is estimated that as many as 35% of Vietnam veterans have developedPTSD at some time during their lives. However, there may be a geneticcomponent to the disorder, since not all individuals subjected to a giventrauma go on to develop PTSD.5.5.4 ProductsThe results of Phase 1 were presented at the annual Society forNeurosciences meeting, November 10-15, 2001. They will also be42--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 49presented at the 3rd Forum of European Neuroscience, July 13-17, 2002,and ai 11th Annual Meeting of the International Behavioral NeuroscienceSociety, June 19-23, 2002.5.6 Radial-Arm Maze Performance Of Rats Following Repeated Low LevelMicrowave Radiation5.6.1 Description Of WorkThis work sought to replicate previous studies that by H. Lai in 1987 whoreported a working memory deficit in rats exposed to low-level, 2450-MHzmicrowave (MW) irradiation when subsequently tested in a 12-arm, radial-arm maze. Lai reported an attenuation of this MW-induced learning deficitin subjects pretreated with either physostigmine or naltrexonehyrdochloride, but not with naloxone methiodide. The present replicationutilized the same exposure system (circular polarized waveguides), wholebody SAR (0.6 W/kg), pulse regimen, pretreatment drugs, exposure time,and maze configuration used by Lai. Lai employed error rate (viz., re-entry into already-visited maze arms) as their dependent measure; thepresent study analyzed both error rate and time to criterion. Veridiansupplied technician support for this study.The present study failed to replicate the data of Lai et al. Analyses of theerror rate dependent measure showed neither a drug nor an exposureeffect, but did reveal a significant effect ottime (i.e., performanceimprovement over consecutive test days). Analyses of the time-to-criterion data showed (a) no effect of exposure; (b) slower acquisition insubjects pretreated with physostigmine or naltrexone hydrochloride (ascompared to naltrexone methodide or saline); and (c) an effect of timesimilar to that found with the error rate data.5.6.2 FundingAFRL 7757 project funds5.6.3 RelevanceThe positive results of Lai et al have implications forthe adequacy of RFR safe exposure standards. Prior to consideringchanging exposure standards Lai's results need to be replicated byindependent researchers.5.6.4 ProductsN/A43--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 506.0 BIOTECHNOLOGYThis ongoing program used pharmacology, toxicology, and tissue cultureexpertise for ongoing, national defense-critical research involving bio-agentdetection, protection, and neutralization, as well as RFR bio-dosimetry. Veridianscientists evaluated the relative effectiveness of conventional high explosiveweapons and conceptual high temperature incendiary weapons against storageand production facilities containing biological agents. They developed the testprocedures and the post-test assay to measure the extent of neutralization of thebio-agent simulant. The data provided will aid the Air Force in down-selectingwhich concept(s) to develop.Veridian scientists are participated in a research program (in progress) to assessthe nature of various simulants with regard to accuracy in representing aparticular agent as well as cataloging general characteristics. A spin-off of thisprogram was the development of a new vaccine strain of Bacillus anthracis(Alls/Gifford strain). We anticipate that this strain will result in more sensitivedetection sensor technology and better vaccines to protect U.S. troops.Veridian scientists were also involved in a program to improve sensor technologyfor bio-agent detection to develop a novel approach to detect and identify a widevariety of bio-agents.Veridian scientists conducted research into the biomechanisms of the effects ofmicrowave exposure. Researchers have been searching for measurablebiomarkers for some time. The team Veridian made what seems to be abreakthrough in biomarker research. Veridian scientists are on the cutting edgeof microwave biomarker research and have published several articles in peer-reviewed journals describing this phenomenon.6.1. Biomarkers of Radio Frequency Radiation (RFR) Exposure6.1.1 Description of WorkThis effort has two objectives. Objective 1 is to find relevant biomarkers ofMMW exposure. It was previously observed that levels of nitrated proteinsincrease during MMW exposure. This suggests that nitrated proteins,their precursors, or metabolites might be relevant endogenous biomarkersto determine MMW exposure in DOD and civilian personnel. Investigationof biomarker compounds in blood was performed following MMWexposure. Objective 2 is to determine how biomarker expression fromMMW exposure compares to that from other stressors (environmental andinfrared heating and hemorrhage). In developing biomarkers it is essentialto know how the levels of expression in response to MMW exposurecompare to that produced by other stressors. This will indicate if thebiomarker is unique to MMW exposure and can be used to specificallydetermine occurrence and extent of MMW exposure.44
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