Medical/biological study (experimental study)

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 med./bio.

By: Devrim E, Ergüder IB, Kılıçoğlu B, Yaykaşlı E, Cetin R, Durak I

Published in: Toxicol Mech Methods 2008; 18 (9): 679-683

Aim of study (acc. to author)

To examine the effects of exposure to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field on oxidative processes in blood and several organs from rats as well as the possible protective effect of vitamin C.

Background/further details

Forty female rats were subjected to the following groups (n=10 per group): 1) control group, 2) vitamin C (250 mg/kg body weight/day, orally), 3) exposure and 4) exposure + vitamin C.

Endpoint

oxidative stress in blood, heart, kidney, liver and ovaries

Exposure

- 900 MHz
- mobile communications
- mobile phone

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: 900 MHz Exposure duration: 4 times a day for 10 minutes in speak mode for 4 weeks (otherwise in standby mode)	SAR: 1.2 W/kg

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	900 MHz
Type	electromagnetic field
Exposure duration	4 times a day for 10 minutes in speak mode for 4 weeks (otherwise in standby mode)

Exposure setup

Exposure source	cellular phone Ericsson GH 688
Distance between exposed object and exposure source	10 cm
Chamber	rats were group caged
Setup	mobile phone was oriented just above the cages
Additional info	control group (group 1) and vitamin C group (group 2) were kept in another room

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
SAR	1.2 W/kg	-	unspecified	-	-

Exposed system:

animal
rat/Wistar albino
whole body

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

oxidative stress: hemoglobin level (cyanomethemoglobin method), protein level (Lowry's method), lipid peroxidation (level of malondialdehyde via thiobarbituric acid), enzyme activity of the superoxide dismutase (reduction rate of nitroblue tetrazolium), enzyme activity of adenosine deaminase, enzyme activity of catalase (via hydrogen peroxide), enzyme activity of glutathione peroxidase (via NADPH), enzyme activity of xanthine oxidase (spectrophotometry)

Investigated system:

isolated bio./chem. substance
blood; homogenates of heart, kidney, liver and ovary tissues

Investigated organ system:

Time of investigation:

after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Remark EMF-Portal: If not stated otherwise, results were taken from the running text ("results" section) because tables are incomplete (parameters for liver are missing).
In erythrocytes, the lipid peroxidation and the enzyme activities of xanthine oxidase and glutathione peroxidase were significantly increased in exposed rats (group 3) when compared to the control group (group 1).
In heart tissue, the lipid peroxidation, the enzyme activities of the xanthine oxidase and adenosine deaminase were significantly decreased in the exposure group compared to the control group.
In kidney tissue, the lipid peroxidation and the enzyme activity of catalase were significantly increased in exposed rats compared to those from the control group while the enzyme activities of xanthine oxidase and adenosine deaminase were significantly decreased.
In ovary tissue, only xanthine oxidase was significantly lower in the exposure groups than in the control group (remark EMF-Portal: information about significance was taken from table).
In liver tissue, no significant differences were found between the exposure group and the control group.
Remark EMF-Portal: There are no results in the running text for groups with were given vitamin C (group 2 and group 4). Tables show several significant differences for the vitamin C group (group 2) compared to the exposure group plus vitamin C (group 4) as well as significant differences between the exposure group (group 3) and the exposure group plus vitamin C. However, these results are scarcely mentioned and discussed by the authors.
The authors conclude that exposure to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field could cause oxidative stress mainly in the erythrocytes and the kidney tissue from rats.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study

Study funded by

not stated/no funding

Türedi S et al. (2017): Biochemical and pathological changes in the male rat kidney and bladder following exposure to continuous 900-MHz electromagnetic field on postnatal days 22-59()
Kerimoglu G et al. (2016): Effects of long-term exposure to 900 megahertz electromagnetic field on heart morphology and biochemistry of male adolescent rats
Ragy MM (2015): Effect of exposure and withdrawal of 900-MHz-electromagnetic waves on brain, kidney and liver oxidative stress and some biochemical parameters in male rats
Bodera P et al. (2015): Influence of electromagnetic field (1800 MHz) on lipid peroxidation in brain, blood, liver and kidney in rats
Furtado-Filho OV et al. (2014): Effect of 950 MHz UHF Electromagnetic radiation on biomarkers of oxidative damage, metabolism of UFA and antioxidants in the liver of young rats of different ages
Jelodar G et al. (2013): The prophylactic effect of vitamin C on oxidative stress indexes in rat eyes following exposure to radiofrequency wave generated by a BTS antenna model
Koca O et al. (2013): Effects of Intensive Cell Phone (Philips Genic 900) Use on the Rat Kidney Tissue
Kumari K et al. (2012): Radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure effects on antioxidant enzymes and liver function tests
Esmekaya MA et al. (2011): 900 MHz pulse-modulated radiofrequency radiation induces oxidative stress on heart, lung, testis and liver tissues
El Nabarawy NA et al. (2011): Protective Effect of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (CAPE) on Liver and Kidney of Rats After Exposure to 900 MHz Electromagnetic Field
Dasdag S et al. (2008): Effect of long term mobile phone exposure on oxidative-antioxidative processes and nitric oxide in rats