Altered morphology and biochemistry of the female rat liver following 900 megahertz electromagnetic field exposure during mid to late adolescence

ABSTRACT

Despite their benefits, technological devices such as cell phones may also have deleterious effects on human health. Considerable debate continues concerning the effects of the electromagnetic field (EMF) emitted during cell phone use on human health. We investigated the effects of exposure to 900 megahertz (MHz) EMF during mid to late adolescence on the rat liver. Control (ContGr), sham (ShmGr) and EMF (EMFGr) groups of female rats were established. We exposed the EMFGr rats daily to 900 MHz EMF on postnatal days 35?59. ShmGr rats underwent sham procedures. No procedure was performed on ContGr rats. Rats were sacrificed on postnatal day 60 and the livers were extracted. One part of the liver was stained with Masson’s trichrome or hematoxylin and eosin. The remaining tissue was used to measure oxidative stress markers including malondialdehyde, glutathione, catalase, superoxide dismutase, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and nitrotyrosine. Total antioxidant status and total oxidant status were used to calculate the oxidative stress index. We found normal hepatic morphology in the ContGr and ShmGr groups. The EMFGr group exhibited occasional irregularities in the radial arrangement of hepatocytes, cytoplasmic vacuolization, hemorrhage, sinusoid expansion, hepatocyte morphology and edema. Biochemical analysis revealed that 8-OHdG and SOD levels in EMFGr decreased significantly compared to the ContGr and ShmGr groups. Exposure to a continuous 900 MHz EMF for 1 h daily during mid to late adolescence may cause histopathological and biochemical alterations in hepatic tissue.     

Long-term exposure to a continuous 900 MHz electromagnetic field disrupts cerebellar morphology in young adult male rats

The pathological effects of exposure to an electromagnetic field (EMF) during childhood and adolescence may be greater than those from exposure during adulthood. We investigated possible pathological changes in the cerebellum of adolescent rats exposed to 900 MHz EMF daily for 25 days. We used three groups of six 21-day-old male rats as follows: unexposed control group (Non-EG), sham-exposed group (Sham-EG) and an EMF-exposed group (EMF-EG). EMF-EG rats were exposed to EMF in an EMF cage for 1 h daily from postnatal days 21 through 46. Sham-EG rats were placed in the EMF cage for 1 h daily, but were not subjected to EMF. No procedures were performed on the Non-EG rats. The cerebellums of all animals were removed on postnatal day 47, sectioned and stained with cresyl violet for histopathological and stereological analyses. We found significantly fewer Purkinje cells in the EMF-EG group than in the Non-EG and Sham-EG groups. Histopathological evaluation revealed alteration of normal Purkinje cell arrangement and pathological changes including intense staining of neuron cytoplasm in the EMF-EG group. We found that exposure to continuous 900 MHz EMF for 1 h/day during adolescence can disrupt cerebellar morphology and reduce the number of Purkinje cells in adolescent rats.     

The effects of prenatal exposure to a 900-MHz electromagnetic field on the 21-day-old male rat heart

Abstract

The growing spread of mobile phone use is raising concerns about the effect on human health of the electromagnetic field (EMF) these devices emit. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects on rat pup heart tissue of prenatal exposure to a 900 megahertz (MHz) EMF. For this purpose, pregnant rats were divided into experimental and control groups. Experimental group rats were exposed to a 900?MHz EMF (1?h/d) on days 13–21 of pregnancy. Measurements were performed with rats inside the exposure box in order to determine the distribution of EMF intensity. Our measurements showed that pregnant experimental group rats were exposed to a mean electrical field intensity of 13.77?V/m inside the box (0.50?W/m²). This study continued with male rat pups obtained from both groups. Pups were sacrificed on postnatal day 21, and the heart tissues were extracted. Malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase and catalase values were significantly higher in the experimental group rats, while glutathione values were lower. Light microscopy revealed irregularities in heart muscle fibers and apoptotic changes in the experimental group. Electron microscopy revealed crista loss and swelling in the mitochondria, degeneration in myofibrils and structural impairments in Z bands. Our study results suggest that exposure to EMF in the prenatal period causes oxidative stress and histopathological changes in male rat pup heart tissue.     

Alterations of thymic morphology and antioxidant biomarkers in 60-day-old male rats following exposure to a continuous 900 MHz electromagnetic field during adolescence

We investigated changes in thymic tissue of male rats exposed to a 900 megahertz (MHz) electromagnetic field (EMF) on postnatal days 22–59. Three groups of six 21-day-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated as: control (CG), sham (SG) and EMF (EMFG) groups. No procedure was performed on the CG rats. SG rats were placed in a Plexiglas cage for 1 h every day between postnatal days 22 and 59 without exposure to EMF. EMFG rats were placed in the same cage for the same periods as the SG rats and were exposed to 900 MHz EMF. Rats were sacrificed on postnatal day 60. Sections of thymus were stained for histological assessment. Oxidant/antioxidant parameters were investigated biochemically. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in EMFG increased compared to the other groups. Extravascular erythrocytes were observed in the medullary/corticomedullary regions in EMFG sections. We found that 900 MHz EMF applied for 1 h/day on postnatal days 22–59 can increase tissue MDA and histopathological changes in male rat thymic tissue.     

Effects of prenatal exposure to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field on 60-day-old rat testis and epididymal sperm quality

We investigated the effects of exposure in utero to a 900 megahertz (MHz) electromagnetic field (EMF) on 60-day-old rat testis and epididymis. Pregnant rats were divided into control (CG; no treatment) and EMF (EMFG) groups. The EMFG was exposed to 900 MHz EMF for 1 h each day during days 13 ? 21 of pregnancy. Newborn rats were either newborn CG (NCG) or newborn EMF groups (NEMFG). On postnatal day 60, a testis and epididymis were removed from each animal. Epididymal semen quality, and lipid and DNA oxidation levels, apoptotic index and histopathological damage to the testis were compared. We found a higher apoptotic index, greater DNA oxidation levels and lower sperm motility and vitality in the NEMFG compared to controls. Immature germ cells in the seminiferous tubule lumen, and altered seminiferous tubule epithelium and seminiferous tubule structure also were observed in hematoxylin and eosin stained sections of NEMFG testis. Nuclear changes that indicated apoptosis were identified in TUNEL stained sections and large numbers of apoptotic cells were observed in most of the seminiferous tubule epithelium in the NEMFG. Sixty-day-old rat testes exposed to 900 MHz EMF exhibited altered sperm quality and biochemical characteristics.     

Effects of exposure to electromagnetic field from mobile phone on serum hepcidin and iron status in male albino rats

Background: Electromagnetic fields (EMF) created by mobile phones during communication have harmful effects on different organs.

Objectives: To explore the effects of exposure to EMF of mobile phones for different durations on hematological parameters and serum hepcidin in male albino rats.

Methods: Three groups of eight rats: Sham group: rats were exposed to a mobile phone while it was switched off, Experimental group I: rats were exposed to microwave radiation from a mobile phone at 9 am for 30 min. Experimental group II: rats were exposed to microwave radiations from a mobile phone at 9 am for an hour. In all groups, the exposure was conducted daily for a total period of 5 months, followed by estimation of serum hepcidin, total leukocyte count (TLC), interleukin 6 (IL6), serum iron, serum ferritin, plasma hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit value (Hct), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), unsaturated iron binding capacity (UIBC), total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and 1.25 dihydroxycholecalciferol levels.

Results: In Experimental group II, there was a significant increase in serum hepcidin, TLC, IL6 and serum ferritin; however, serum iron, TIBC, UIBC, 1.25 dihydroxycholecalciferol, plasma Hb, Hct, MCV and MCH were significantly lower in comparison to sham-exposed group. In Experimental group I, there was a significant increase in serum hepcidin, IL6 and TLC, along with non-significant changes in the remaining studied parameters in comparison to the sham-exposed group. Conclusion: Chronic exposure to EMF from mobile phones increases hepcidin level with subsequent impairment of iron parameters, in addition to negatively affecting both UIBC and TIBC.     

Effects of 900 MHz electromagnetic fields exposure on cochlear cells' functionality in rats: evaluation of distortion product otoacoustic emissions

In recent years, the widespread use of mobile phones has been accompanied by public debate about possible adverse consequences on human health. The auditory system is a major target of exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by cellular telephones; the aim of this study was the evaluation of possible effects of cellular phone-like emissions on the functionality of rat's cochlea. Distortion Products OtoAcoustic Emission (DPOAE) amplitude was selected as cochlea's outer hair cells (OHC) status indicator. A number of protocols, including different frequencies (the lower ones in rat's cochlea sensitivity spectrum), intensities and periods of exposure, were used; tests were carried out before, during and after the period of treatment. No significant variation due to exposure to microwaves has been evidenced.     

Protective effects of luteolin on rat testis following exposure to 900 MHz electromagnetic field

Increasing cell phone use calls for clarification of the consequences of long term exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF). We investigated the effects of EMF on the testes of 12-week-old rats as well as possible protective effects of luteolin on testis tissue. Twenty-four Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, EMF, luteolin, and EMF + luteolin. The number of Leydig cells, primary spermatocytes and spermatids were reduced in the EMF group compared to the control group. In the EMF + luteolin group, the number of Leydig cells, primary spermatocytes and spermatids was significantly greater than the EMF group. We found an increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the EMF group compared to the control group. In the EMF group, we found decreased wet weight of testes and serum testosterone levels compared to the control group. Decreased SOD enzyme activity, and increased serum testosterone levels and weight of the testes were observed in the EMF + luteolin group compared to the EMF group. EMF also affected sperm morphology. We found that in rat testis repeated exposure to 900 MHz EMF caused changes in testicular tissue and that the antioxidant, luteolin, substantially reduced the deleterious effects of EMF.     

Effects of mobile phone electromagnetic fields: critical evaluation of behavioral and neurophysiological studies

For the last two decades, a large number of studies have investigated the effects of mobile phone radiation on the human brain and cognition using behavioral or neurophysiological measurements. This review evaluated previous findings with respect to study design and data analysis. Provocation studies found no evidence of subjective symptoms attributed to mobile phone radiation, suggesting psychological reasons for inducing such symptoms in hypersensitive people. Behavioral studies previously reported improved cognitive performance under exposure, but it was likely to have occurred by chance due to multiple comparisons. Recent behavioral studies and replication studies with more conservative statistics found no significant effects compared with original studies. Neurophysiological studies found no significant effects on cochlear and brainstem auditory processing, but only inconsistent results on spontaneous and evoked brain electrical activity. The inconsistent findings suggest possible false positives due to multiple comparisons and thus replication is needed. Other approaches such as brain hemodynamic response measurements are promising but the findings are few and not yet conclusive. Rigorous study design and data analysis considering multiple comparisons and effect size are required to reduce controversy in this important field of research.     

电磁场曝露对生物组织电磁特性的影响

电磁辐射严重影响着人体的健康.电磁场生物效应的发生机制与电磁场本身的特性相关,同时也与生物组织在电磁场作用下电磁特性的改变密切相关.生物体内的信号分子、自由基以及磁颗粒等处于外加电磁场中时其电磁特性会发生变化,尤其是不同频率电磁场曝露作用下生物组织的导电、介电以及磁学等特性会有非常显著的区别.明确不同频率电磁场作用下生物组织电磁特性的变化规律是研究电磁场生物效应发生机制以及预防问题的关键.综述了近年来电磁场对于生物组织电磁特性影响的研究成果,并对未来的研究方向做了展望.     

Effects of pulsed electromagnetic field on intervertebral disc cell apoptosis in rats

Despite numerous studies on pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) application, its effects of PEMF on intervertebral disc (IVD) have not yet been investigated in vivo. Accordingly, the effects of PEMF upon IVD in rats were evaluated through molecular surveys. Rats were divided into six groups: Group I and II were exposed to low and high frequency of PEMF (LF and HF, respectively). Group III and IV underwent induced disc degeneration and were exposed to low and high frequency of PEMF (LF/IDD and HF/IDD, respectively). Group V underwent induced disc degeneration (IDD), and group VI was control. The values of caspase 3, Bax, Bcl-2 and β-actin band density, as cell apoptotic markers, were obtained from band densitometry. Our results showed that the value of cleaved caspase-3 of cells and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in IDD group increased significantly compared to the control group (p?p?相似文献   

The effects of long-term exposure of magnetic field via 900-MHz GSM radiation on some biochemical parameters and brain histology in rats

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of magnetic field via cell phones on some blood parameters and neurons in the brain of rats. Animals have been classified into three groups: control, Magnetic Field (MF), and F2 groups. Throughout this study, cell phones were placed on the wall of the cages. Rats were exposed to the effects of cell phones during prenatal and postnatal periods until they were 80 days old. During the study, the exposure procedure of rats was that the phone was in standby mode for a whole day and in talking mode for 30 min per day. The waves of cell phones caused an increased blood glucose level from 96.52 ± 5.64 mg/dl to 132.14 ± 5.93 mg/dl and an increased serum protein level from 131.14 ± 6.19 mg/dl to 319.29 ± 6.73 mg/dl compared to control. Statistically, significant differences wasn't observed in the blood cholesterol concentration between the groups compared to the control. Weekly weight gain decreased in all groups compared to the control. MF exposure decreased pyramidal neuron numbers 51.15% and increased ischemic neuron numbers 73% at cortex region of brain. In addition, vascular dilatations have increased clearly in group F2.Whereas the procedure of MF did not have any effects on hippocampal pyramidal cell numbers, magnetic fields increased the amount of ischemic neurons three-fold compared to the control. In conclusion, MF affected some biochemical parameters, especially the cortex region of the brain.     

Lack of effects of 1439 MHz electromagnetic near field exposure on the blood-brain barrier in immature and young rats

Possible effects of 1439 MHz electromagnetic near field (EMF) exposure on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) were investigated using immature (4 weeks old) and young (10 weeks old) rats, equivalent in age to the time when the BBB development is completed and the young adult, respectively. Alteration of BBB related genes, such as those encoding p-glycoprotein, aquaporin-4, and claudin-5, was assessed at the protein and mRNA levels in the brain after local exposure of the head to EMF at 0, 2, and 6 W/kg specific energy absorption rates (SARs) for 90 min/day for 1 or 2 weeks. Although expression of the 3 genes was clearly decreased after administration of 1,3-dinitrobenzene (DNB) as a positive control, when compared with the control values, there were no pathologically relevant differences with the EMF at any exposure levels at either age. Vascular permeability, monitored with reference to transfer of FITC-dextran, FD20, was not affected by EMF exposure. Thus, these findings suggest that local exposure of the head to 1439 MHz EMF exerts no adverse effects on the BBB in immature and young rats.     

Investigating short-term exposure to electromagnetic fields on reproductive capacity of invertebrates in the field situation

Organisms are exposed to electromagnetic fields from the introduction of wireless networks that send information all over the world. In this study we examined the impact of exposure to the fields from mobile phone base stations (GSM 900?MHz) on the reproductive capacity of small, virgin, invertebrates. A field experiment was performed exposing four different invertebrate species at different distances from a radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) transmitter for a 48-h period. The control groups were isolated from EMF exposure by use of Faraday cages. The response variables as measured in the laboratory were fecundity and number of offspring. Results showed that distance was not an adequate proxy to explain dose-response regressions. No significant impact of the exposure matrices, measures of central tendency and temporal variability of EMF, on reproductive endpoints was found. Finding no impact on reproductive capacity does not fully exclude the existence of EMF impact, since mechanistically models hypothesizing non-thermal-induced biological effects from RF exposure are still to be developed. The exposure to RF EMF is ubiquitous and is still increasing rapidly over large areas. We plea for more attention toward the possible impacts of EMF on biodiversity.     

高脂饲养青春期大鼠电击回避反应和海马CA3区场电位的改变

目的：观察高脂饲养至青春期的大鼠对电击回避反应和海马CA3区实时局部场电位变化。方法：断乳1周幼鼠改用基础饲料和高脂饲料分别喂养4周至青春期,分为基础饲料组（BF组）和高脂饲料组（HFD组）,Y型迷宫电击回避训练方法,记录2组大鼠电击回避达学会标准的相关参数,同时无线遥测大鼠达标时海马CA3区实时局部场电位。结果：与BF组大鼠比较,HFD组大鼠体重明显增加,Y型迷宫电击回避训练1~2 d大鼠达标百分率、电击回避达标各项指标均略优于BF组;双侧海马CA3区局部场电位节律出现去同步化快波改变,右侧海马CA3区出现了θ波和γ 1波百分比的同步性增加,但无θ~γ 1波相位-振幅耦合出现。结论：幼年期短期高脂饮食至青春期的大鼠,尽管体重较基础饲料大鼠增加,但未见Y型迷宫电击回避反应能力和海马依赖性空间认知功能的减退。     

Effects of prenatal exposure to diclofenac sodium and saline on the optic nerve of 4- and 20-week-old male rats: a stereological and histological study

We investigated the effects of diclofenac sodium (DS) on development of the optic nerve in utero. Pregnant female rats were separated into three groups: control, saline treated and DS treated. Offspring of these animals were divided into 4-week-old and 20-week-old groups. At the end of the 4th and 20th weeks of postnatal life, the animals were sacrificed, and right optic nerves were excised and sectioned for ultrastructural and stereological analyses. We demonstrated that both DS and saline produced structural and morphometric changes in the total axon number and density of axons, but decreased the myelin sheath thickness in male optic nerves. All ultrastructural and morphometric features were well developed in 20-week-old rats. We showed that development of the optic nerve continues during the early postnatal period and that some compensation for exposure to deleterious agents in utero may occur during early postnatal life.     

Dosimetry of electromagnetic field exposure of an active armlet and its electromagnetic interference to the cardiac pacemakers using adult,child and infant models

ABSTRACT

Wearable devices have been popularly used with people from different age groups. As a consequence, the concerns of their electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure to the human body and their electromagnetic interference (EMI) to the implanted medical devices have attracted many studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the human exposure to the EMF of an active radiofrequency identification (RFID) armlet as well as its EMI to the cardiac pacemaker (CP). Different human models from various age groups were applied to assess the result variability. The scalar potential finite element method was utilized in the simulation. Local EMF exposure and the exposure to the central nerve system tissues were evaluated using different metrics. EMI to the CP was assessed in terms of the conducted voltage to the CP. The results from all the models revealed that the studied RFID armlet would not produce the EMF exposure exceeding the safety limits. The calculated interference voltage was highly dependent on the distance between the RFID armlet and the CP (i.e. the physical dimension of the individual model). The results proposed to evaluate the appropriateness of the current EMI measurement protocol for this kind of devices used by the infants.