Medical/biological study (experimental study)

In vitro effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic waves on bovine spermatozoa motility med./bio.

By: Lukac N, Massanyi P, Roychoudhury S, Capcarova M, Tvrda E, Knazicka Z, Kolesarova A, Danko J

Published in: J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng 2011; 46 (12): 1417-1423

To study the possible effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on bovine spermatozoa motility parameters in relation to exposure duration.

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: 1,800 MHz Exposure duration: continuous for 30, 120 or 420 min	-

Exposure source	not specified
Setup	samples placed in micro-titre plates with wells of 400 µm; plates positioned in an incubator at 37°C, which contained a microwave source

No parameters are specified for this exposure.

Exposed system:

sperm motility, progressive sperm motility, different sperm parameters concerning the covered path and velocity of the sperms: curvilinear distance (DCL), distance average path (DAP), distance straight line (DSL), curvilinear velocity line (VCL), velocity average path (VAP), velocity straight line (VSL), linearity, amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH), beat cross frequency; computer assisted semen analyzer (CASA)

Investigated system:

Time of investigation:

The evaluation of the percentage of motile spermatozoa showed a significant decrease in exposed samples after 120 and 420 minutes of exposure compared with the sham exposed samples. Similar spermatozoa motility inhibition was detected for the percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa, too.
Average path distance (DAP) decreased significantly in the exposed samples after 30 and 420 minutes of exposure. Path velocity parameters (VAP, VCL, VSL) increased in the irradiated spermatozoa samples after 30 minutes of exposure, but subsequently decreased after 420 minutes of exposure compared with the control. This indicates a possible initial stimulation and subsequent velocity inhibition of bovine spermatozoa under radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure.
A significant decrease was revealed for amplitude of lateral head displacement in the exposed spermatozoa samples after 420 minutes of exposure.
The detailed in vitro sperm motility analysis of bovine spermatozoa exposed to microwaves suggested that the parameters of the covered path and velocity of the sperms at the beginning of exposure significantly increased, but after longer exposure (420 minutes) a significant decrease occured in the irradiated samples compared with the control. In general, the data indicate a negative time-dependent effect of 1800 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure on bovine sperm motility.

Study character:

Nakatani-Enomoto S et al. (2016): Effects of 1950 MHz W-CDMA-like signal on human spermatozoa
Falzone N et al. (2010): Mobile Phone Radiation Does Not Induce Pro-apoptosis Effects in Human Spermatozoa
Agarwal A et al. (2009): Effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic waves (RF-EMW) from cellular phones on human ejaculated semen: an in vitro pilot study
De Iuliis GN et al. (2009): Mobile phone radiation induces reactive oxygen species production and DNA damage in human spermatozoa in vitro
Agarwal A et al. (2008): Effect of cell phone usage on semen analysis in men attending infertility clinic: an observational study
Falzone N et al. (2008): In vitro effect of pulsed 900 MHz GSM radiation on mitochondrial membrane potential and motility of human spermatozoa
Wdowiak A et al. (2007): Evaluation of the effect of using mobile phones on male fertility
Erogul O et al. (2006): Effects of electromagnetic radiation from a cellular phone on human sperm motility: an in vitro study
Fejes I et al. (2005): Is there a relationship between cell phone use and semen quality?
Davoudi M et al. (2002): [Influence of electromagnetic waves on sperm motality]