Chronic exposure of primates to 60-Hz electric and magnetic fields: II. Neurochemical effects.

We exposed Macaca nemestrina (pig-tailed macaques) to electric (E) and magnetic (B) fields ranging in intensity from 3 kV/m and 0.1 G to 30 kV/m and 0.9 G for three 21-day (d) periods. Experimental animals were exposed to sham E and B fields for two 21-d periods, one prior to and one following actual exposure to E and B fields, resulting in a total of five 21-d periods. Control animals were exposed to sham E and B fields for the entire 105-d interval. At the end of each 21-d period cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was obtained by lumbar puncture and analyzed for concentrations of homovanillic acid (HVA) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), metabolites of dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters, respectively, by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD). Results are based on an examination of six experimental and four control animals. Exposure to E and B fields at all strengths was associated with a significant decline in CSF concentrations of both HVA and 5-HIAA when statistical comparisons were made against values obtained at the end of the preexposure interval. However, HVA returned to preexposure levels during the postexposure period, while 5-HIAA did not. No significant change in the concentrations of HVA or 5-HIAA was noted in the control animals. These results strongly suggest that exposure of the nonhuman primate to E and B fields can significantly affect specific biochemical estimates of nervous system function. These effects may involve alterations either in neuronal activity or in the activity of enzymes that catabolize the neurotransmitters.