STRUCTURAL CHANGES OF LYMPHOCYTE DNA DUE TO EXPOSURE TO NON-IONIZING MICROWAVE RADIATION IN A MEDIUM WITH A MODIFIED ISOTOPE CONTENT

Fluorescent spectroscopy was used to determine the relative content of DNA single-strand breaks in human peripheral blood lymphocytes following exposure in vitro to nonionizing microwave radiation. The number of DNA breaks in lysates isolated from lymphocytes was determined by comparison of the ratio of fluorescence in control and irradiated samples. Increase of the microwave radiation frequency increased the number of DNA breaks when compared with the control (p < 0.05). It was noted that incubation of lymphocytes in physiological solutions with the deuterium content at 40 ppm reduces the number of breaks by 15–19 % in comparison with lymphocytes incubated in water-based solutions (p < 0.05). It was concluded that cell adaptation to the low deuterium concentration in water may stimulate functional activities of the cell systems engaged in intense traffic of hydrogen ions, activation of the DNA-reparation system, and reduction of the formation of active oxygen forms.