Behavioral changes and gene profile alterations after chronic 1,950-MHz radiofrequency exposure: An observation in C57BL/6 mice

PAPER manual 2020 Animal study Effect: mixed Evidence: Low

Read original paper → DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1815 Evidence Lab

Abstract

Behavioral changes and gene profile alterations after chronic 1,950-MHz radiofrequency exposure: An observation in C57BL/6 mice Ye Ji Jeong, Yeonghoon Son, Hyung-Do Choi, Nam Kim, Yun-Sil Lee, Young-Gyu Ko, Hae-June Lee. Behavioral changes and gene profile alterations after chronic 1,950-MHz radiofrequency exposure: An observation in C57BL/6 mice. Brain Behav. 2020 Aug 28;e01815. doi: 10.1002/brb3.1815. Abstract Introduction: Due to public concerns about deleterious biological consequences of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF), the potential effects of RF-EMF on the central nervous system have received wide consideration. Methods: Here, two groups of C57BL/6 mice, aged 2 and 12 months, were exposed to 1,950-MHz RF-EMF at a specific absorption rate of 5.0 W/kg for chronic periods (2 hr/day and 5 days/week for 8 months). Behavioral changes were then assessed in the mice at 10 months (sham- or RF-10M) and 20 months (sham- or RF-20M), on the open-field test, the Y-maze test, and an object recognition memory task, while biological effects were analyzed via microarray gene profiling of the hippocampus. Results: Open-field test results showed a decrease in the time duration spent at the center while there was a decrease in enhanced memory shown by the Y-maze test and the novel object recognition test in the RF-20M mice, compared to sham-exposed mice, but no significant changes in the RF-10M group. Based on a 2-fold change cutoff, the microarray data revealed that 15 genes, which are listed as being involved in neurogenesis on Gene Ontology, were altered in both groups. Quantitative real-time PCR for validation showed increased expression of Epha8 and Wnt6 in the hippocampi of RF-20M group mice, although 13 additional genes showed no significant changes following RF-EMF exposure. Conclusion: Therefore, cognitive enhancement following chronic exposure for 8 months to RF-EMF from middle age may be associated with increases in neurogenesis-related signals in the hippocampus of C57BL/6 mice. Open access paper: onlinelibrary.wiley.com

AI evidence extraction

At a glance

Study type

Animal study

Effect direction

mixed

Population

C57BL/6 mice (aged 2 and 12 months at start; assessed at 10 and 20 months)

Sample size

—

Exposure

RF · 1950 MHz · 5 W/kg · 2 hr/day, 5 days/week for 8 months

Evidence strength

Low

Confidence: 74% · Peer-reviewed: yes

Main findings

In 20-month-old mice (RF-20M), open-field testing showed decreased time spent in the center and memory performance was decreased on the Y-maze and novel object recognition tests versus sham; no significant behavioral changes were reported in the 10-month-old group (RF-10M). Microarray analysis (2-fold cutoff) identified 15 neurogenesis-related genes altered in both groups; qRT-PCR validation showed increased Epha8 and Wnt6 expression in RF-20M hippocampi, while 13 other genes were not significantly changed.

Outcomes measured

Behavior (open-field test)
Memory/cognition (Y-maze test)
Object recognition memory
Hippocampal gene expression (microarray)
Hippocampal gene expression validation (qRT-PCR; Epha8, Wnt6 and others)

Limitations

Sample size not reported in the abstract
Exposure source/setup not specified in the abstract
Behavioral results differed by age group (effects present in RF-20M but not RF-10M)
Most microarray-identified genes were not confirmed as significantly changed by qRT-PCR (13/15 not significant)

View raw extracted JSON

{
    "study_type": "animal",
    "exposure": {
        "band": "RF",
        "source": null,
        "frequency_mhz": 1950,
        "sar_wkg": 5,
        "duration": "2 hr/day, 5 days/week for 8 months"
    },
    "population": "C57BL/6 mice (aged 2 and 12 months at start; assessed at 10 and 20 months)",
    "sample_size": null,
    "outcomes": [
        "Behavior (open-field test)",
        "Memory/cognition (Y-maze test)",
        "Object recognition memory",
        "Hippocampal gene expression (microarray)",
        "Hippocampal gene expression validation (qRT-PCR; Epha8, Wnt6 and others)"
    ],
    "main_findings": "In 20-month-old mice (RF-20M), open-field testing showed decreased time spent in the center and memory performance was decreased on the Y-maze and novel object recognition tests versus sham; no significant behavioral changes were reported in the 10-month-old group (RF-10M). Microarray analysis (2-fold cutoff) identified 15 neurogenesis-related genes altered in both groups; qRT-PCR validation showed increased Epha8 and Wnt6 expression in RF-20M hippocampi, while 13 other genes were not significantly changed.",
    "effect_direction": "mixed",
    "limitations": [
        "Sample size not reported in the abstract",
        "Exposure source/setup not specified in the abstract",
        "Behavioral results differed by age group (effects present in RF-20M but not RF-10M)",
        "Most microarray-identified genes were not confirmed as significantly changed by qRT-PCR (13/15 not significant)"
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "low",
    "confidence": 0.7399999999999999911182158029987476766109466552734375,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
        "radiofrequency",
        "RF-EMF",
        "1950 MHz",
        "specific absorption rate",
        "SAR 5.0 W/kg",
        "chronic exposure",
        "C57BL/6 mice",
        "open-field test",
        "Y-maze",
        "novel object recognition",
        "hippocampus",
        "microarray",
        "gene profiling",
        "neurogenesis",
        "Epha8",
        "Wnt6"
    ],
    "suggested_hubs": []
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract/metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.

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