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Application of 1H-NMR-based metabolomics for detecting injury induced by long-term microwave exposure in Wistar rats’ urine

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Abstract

There has been growing public concern regarding exposure to microwave fields as a potential human health hazard. This study aimed to identify sensitive biochemical indexes for the detection of injury induced by microwave exposure. Male Wistar rats were exposed to microwaves for 6 min per day, 5 days per week over a period of 1 month at an average power density of 5 mW/cm2 (specific absorption rate of 2.1 W/kg). Urine specimens were collected over 24 h in metabolic cages at 7 days, 21 days, 2 months, and 6 months after exposure. 1H NMR spectroscopy data were analyzed using multivariate statistical techniques. Urine metabolic profiles of rats after long-term microwave exposure were significantly differentiated from those of sham-treated controls using principal component analysis or partial least squares discriminant analysis. Significant differences in low molecular weight metabolites (acetate, succinate, citrate, ketoglutarate, glucose, taurine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and hippurate) were identified in the 5 mW/cm2 microwave exposure group compared with the sham-treated controls at 7 days, 21 days, and 2 months. Metabolites returned to normal levels by 6 months after exposure. These data indicated that these metabolites were related to the perturbations of energy metabolism particularly in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and the metabolism of amino acids, monoamines, and choline in urine represent potential indexes for the detection of injury induced by long-term microwave exposure.

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Abbreviations

DMG:

dimethylglycine

NMR:

nuclear magnetic resonance

PCA:

principal component analysis

PLS-DA:

partial least squares discriminant analysis

PR:

pattern recognition

TCA:

tricarboxylic acid

TMAO:

trimethylamine N-oxide

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Xianzhong Yan and Bo Sun (National Center of Biomedical Analysis) for their kind help with metabolomics technology. This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (2011CB503706) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30970871).

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, 27 Taiping Road, Beijing, 100850, China

    Li-Feng Wang, Rui-Yun Peng, Shui-Ming Wang, Ya-Bing Gao, Ji Dong, Li Zhao, Xiang Li, Hong-Yan Zuo & Chang-Zhen Wang

  2. Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, 27 Taiping Road, Beijing, 100850, China

    Xiang-Jun Hu

  3. Laser Medicine, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, 100850, China

    Rong-Lian Gao

  4. Radiation Protection, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, 100850, China

    Zhen-Tao Su

  5. Endocrine and Cardiovascular Center, Fuwai Hospital and Cardiovascular Institute, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100037, China

    Xin-Xing Feng

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  1. Li-Feng Wang
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Correspondence to Xiang-Jun Hu or Rui-Yun Peng.

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Wang, LF., Hu, XJ., Peng, RY. et al. Application of 1H-NMR-based metabolomics for detecting injury induced by long-term microwave exposure in Wistar rats’ urine. Anal Bioanal Chem 404, 69–78 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-012-6115-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-012-6115-3

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