Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Effects of long-term exposure to 900 megahertz electromagnetic field on heart morphology and biochemistry of male adolescent rats med./bio.

By: Kerimoglu G, Mercantepe T, Erol HS, Turgut A, Kaya H, Colakoglu S, Odaci E

Published in: Biotech Histochem 2016; 91 (7): 445-454

Aim of study (acc. to author)

The effects of exposure of adolescent rats to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field on morphology and oxidative stress in the heart should be investigated.

Background/further details

Male 21-day-old rats were divided into 3 groups (n=8 each): 1) exposure to the electromagnetic field, 2) sham exposure and 3) cage control. All rats were killed on postnatal day 60 and hearts were investigated.

Endpoint

effects on the cardiovascular system: morphology and oxidative stress in the heart

Exposure

- 900 MHz
- mobile communications
- mobile phone

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: 900 MHz Exposure duration: 1 h/day between postnatal days 21 and 59	power: 300 mW (approximate output power) electric field strength: 7 V/m mean (on the outside the empty plexiglass cage floor) electric field strength: 9.54 V/m mean (on the inside the empty plexiglass cage floor) electric field strength: 5.4 V/m mean (with rats in cage on the outside the plexiglass cage floor) electric field strength: 8.4 V/m mean (with rats in cage on the inside the plexiglass cage floor; rat exposure value) power density: 0.187 W/m² mean (rat exposure value) SAR: 0.0093 W/kg

Exposure

Parameters

Exposure 1: 900 MHz

Exposure duration: 1 h/day between postnatal days 21 and 59

power: 300 mW (approximate output power)
electric field strength: 7 V/m mean (on the outside the empty plexiglass cage floor)
electric field strength: 9.54 V/m mean (on the inside the empty plexiglass cage floor)
electric field strength: 5.4 V/m mean (with rats in cage on the outside the plexiglass cage floor)
electric field strength: 8.4 V/m mean (with rats in cage on the inside the plexiglass cage floor; rat exposure value)
power density: 0.187 W/m² mean (rat exposure value)
SAR: 0.0093 W/kg

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	900 MHz
Type	electromagnetic field
Exposure duration	1 h/day between postnatal days 21 and 59

Exposure setup

Exposure source	dipole antenna
Chamber	plexiglass cage (42 cm length x 30 cm width x 50 cm height)
Setup	half-wave dipole antenna was made of 1 mm wide x 15 cm long copper plate and was inserted into the central area of the plexiglass cage, approximately 11 cm inside the opening; rats could move freely during exposure; temperature during exposure was 21.43°C ± 1.07°C and humidity was 59.8% ± 4.11%
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.
Additional info	all groups were kept in the same room in separate cages under the same environmental conditions, except during sham and EMF exposure; temperature during sham exposure was 21.30°C ± 1.08°C and humidity was 59.7% ± 4.34%

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
power	300 mW	-	-	-	approximate output power
electric field strength	7 V/m	mean	measured	-	on the outside the empty plexiglass cage floor
electric field strength	9.54 V/m	mean	measured	-	on the inside the empty plexiglass cage floor
electric field strength	5.4 V/m	mean	measured	-	with rats in cage on the outside the plexiglass cage floor
electric field strength	8.4 V/m	mean	measured	-	with rats in cage on the inside the plexiglass cage floor; rat exposure value
power density	0.187 W/m²	mean	-	-	rat exposure value
SAR	0.0093 W/kg	-	calculated	whole body	-

Additional parameter details

electric field strengths were measured at nine points on the inside and outside of the plexiglass cage floor

Reference articles

Odaci E et al. (2015): Exposure to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field for 1 hour a day over 30 days does change the histopathology and biochemistry of the rat testis
Turedi S et al. (2015): The effects of prenatal exposure to a 900-MHz electromagnetic field on the 21-day-old male rat heart
Topal Z et al. (2015): The effects of prenatal long-duration exposure to 900-MHz electromagnetic field on the 21-day-old newborn male rat liver
Hanci H et al. (2013): The effect of prenatal exposure to 900-megahertz electromagnetic field on the 21-old-day rat testicle

Exposed system:

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

effects on the cardiovascular system: oxidative stress: lipid peroxidation (reaction of malondialdehyde with thiobarbituric acid) and antioxidative capacity (enzyme activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase (reaction with nitro blue tetrazolium) and amount of glutathione (spectrophotometry), see also "morphological/histopathological changes", heart weight
morphol./histopathol. changes: histopathological changes in heart tissue (vascular congestion, cytoplasmic eosinophilia, vacuolization and irregularity of muscle fibers, loss of cross striations; hematoxylin-eosin stain, light microscopy), myocardial apoptosis (TUNEL stain, light microscopy), ultrastructure (toluidine blue stain and microscopy for preview, stain with uranyl acetate and Reynold's lead citrate, electron microscopy)
body weight

Investigated system:

isolated bio./chem. substance
tissue slices
isolated organ
heart, homogenates

Time of investigation:

after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Apoptosis and lipid peroxidation were significantly increased in the exposure group (group 1) compared to the sham exposure group (group 2). Additionally, in comparison to the cage control (group 3), the superoxide dismutase enzyme activity was significantly increased and the enzyme activity of catalase and the amount of glutathione were significantly decreased in the exposure group. However, in the sham exposure group, apoptosis and all oxidative stress parameters except lipid peroxidation were significantly different compared to the cage control as well.
In histology and ultrastructure, the sham exposure and cage control showed no histopathological changes, while the exposure group exhibited structural changes and capillary congestion in the myocardium, decreased myofilaments and pronounced vacuolization.
There were no significant differences in body or heart weights between the groups.
The authors conclude that exposure of adolescent rats to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field might induce oxidative stress causing morphological alterations in the heart.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study
blind study (partly)

Study funded by

Karadeniz Technical University, Turkey

Bahreyni Toossi MH et al. (2018): Exposure to mobile phone (900-1800 MHz) during pregnancy: tissue oxidative stress after childbirth
Turedi S et al. (2015): The effects of prenatal exposure to a 900-MHz electromagnetic field on the 21-day-old male rat heart
Kiray A et al. (2013): The effects of exposure to electromagnetic field on rat myocardium
Colak C et al. (2012): Effects of electromagnetic radiation from 3G mobile phone on heart rate, blood pressure and ECG parameters in rats
Turker Y et al. (2011): Selenium and L-Carnitine Reduce Oxidative Stress in the Heart of Rat Induced by 2.45-GHz Radiation from Wireless Devices
Esmekaya MA et al. (2011): 900 MHz pulse-modulated radiofrequency radiation induces oxidative stress on heart, lung, testis and liver tissues
Martinez-Samano J et al. (2010): Effects of acute electromagnetic field exposure and movement restraint on antioxidant system in liver, heart, kidney and plasma of Wistar rats: A preliminary report
Tayefi H et al. (2010): The effects of prenatal and neonatal exposure to electromagnetic fields on infant rat myocardium
Devrim E et al. (2008): Effects of Electromagnetic Radiation Use on Oxidant/Antioxidant Status and DNA Turn-over Enzyme Activities in Erythrocytes and Heart, Kidney, Liver, and Ovary Tissues From Rats: Possible Protective Role of Vitamin C
Özgüner F et al. (2005): Mobile phone-induced myocardial oxidative stress: protection by a novel antioxidant agent caffeic acid phenethyl ester
Kim MJ et al. (2004): Green tea catechins protect rats from microwave-induced oxidative damage to heart tissue

Effects of long-term exposure to 900 megahertz electromagnetic field on heart morphology and biochemistry of male adolescent rats med./bio.

Aim of study (acc. to author)

Background/further details

Endpoint

Exposure

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Exposure setup

Parameters

Additional parameter details

Reference articles

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Study funded by

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