The effects of prenatal and postnatal exposure of rats to a 50 Hz magnetic field on the ultrastructure of ovarian follicles should be investigated.
30 three-month old female rats were divided into 3 groups (n=10 each): 1) exposure to the magnetic field for 8 weeks (3 weeks prenatal and 5 weeks postnatal exposure), 2) exposure to the magnetic field for 13 weeks (3 weeks prenatal and 10 weeks postnatal exposure), 3) untreated control group.
(remark EMF-Portal: The experimental design is not clear. The three-month old rats were probably pregnant and their offspring was exposed and investigated.)
| Frequency | 50–60 Hz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Exposure duration | for 8 weeks (3 weeks prenatal and 5 weeks postnatal) |
| Additional info | 50 or 50-60 Hz magnetic field? (contradictory specifications) |
| Exposure source | |
|---|---|
| Chamber | incubator |
| Setup | the Helmholtz coils had a diameter of 20 cm and contained 200 windings of 0.8 mm copper wire located at a distance of 10 cm from each other |
No parameters are specified for this exposure.
| Frequency | 50–60 Hz |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Exposure duration | for 13 weeks (3 weeks prenatal and 10 weeks postnatal) |
| Additional info | 50 or 50-60 Hz magnetic field? (contradictory specifications) |
| Exposure source |
|
|---|
No parameters are specified for this exposure.
The control group showed cytoplasmic projections in zona pellucida, normal nucleus membrane and round or ovally shaped mitochondria.
In exposure group 1 (8 weeks of exposure), the nuclei of theca cells showed different proportions of heterochromatin, a sign of degeneration, and vacuolization was observed. In both exposure groups, the mitochondrial structure was changed and lipid droplets were visible in follicular cells.
In exposure group 2 (13 weeks of exposure), the nuclei of endothelial cells showed heterochromatin and were swollen. In cells from the granulosa layer, nuclei were irregular and dark.
The authors conclude that prenatal and postnatal exposure of rats to a 50 Hz magnetic field might have harmful effects on ovarian follicles.
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