The effects of prenatal long-duration exposure to 900-MHz electromagnetic field on the 21-day-old newborn male rat liver.

PAPER pubmed Turkish journal of medical sciences 2015 Animal study Effect: harm Evidence: Low

Read original paper → DOI: 10.3906/sag-1404-168 PMID: 26084117 Evidence Lab

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIM: To determine what effect a 900-MHz electromagnetic field (EMF) applied in the prenatal period would have on the liver in the postnatal period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: At the start of the study, adult pregnant rats were divided into two groups, control and experimental. The experimental group was exposed to a 900-MHz EMF for 1 h daily during days 13-21 of pregnancy. After birth, no procedure was performed on either mothers or pups. Male rat pups (n = 6) from the control group mothers (CGMR) and male rat pups (n = 6) from the experimental group mothers (EGMR) were sacrificed on postnatal day 21. RESULTS: Biochemical analyses showed that malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase values increased and glutathione levels decreased in the EGMR pups. Marked hydropic degeneration in the parenchyma, particularly in pericentral regions, was observed in light microscopic examination of EGMR sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Examinations under transmission electron microscope revealed vacuolization in the mitochondria, expansion in the endoplasmic reticulum, and necrotic hepatocytes. CONCLUSION: The study results show that a 900-MHz EMF applied in the prenatal period caused oxidative stress and pathological alterations in the liver in the postnatal period.

AI evidence extraction

At a glance

Study type

Animal study

Effect direction

harm

Population

Pregnant rats and male offspring (pups) assessed at postnatal day 21

Sample size

Exposure

RF · 900 MHz · 1 h daily during gestational days 13–21

Evidence strength

Low

Confidence: 78% · Peer-reviewed: yes

Main findings

Male pups from dams exposed prenatally to 900-MHz EMF showed increased malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase and decreased glutathione versus controls. Histology and electron microscopy indicated hydropic degeneration (notably pericentral), mitochondrial vacuolization, endoplasmic reticulum expansion, and necrotic hepatocytes.

Outcomes measured

Liver oxidative stress biomarkers (malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, glutathione)
Liver histopathology (light microscopy; H&E)
Liver ultrastructure (transmission electron microscopy)

Limitations

Small sample size (n=6 male pups per group)
Only male offspring assessed
Exposure characterization limited (no SAR or field strength reported)
Single postnatal time point (day 21)
Animal study; generalizability to humans is limited

View raw extracted JSON

{
    "study_type": "animal",
    "exposure": {
        "band": "RF",
        "source": null,
        "frequency_mhz": 900,
        "sar_wkg": null,
        "duration": "1 h daily during gestational days 13–21"
    },
    "population": "Pregnant rats and male offspring (pups) assessed at postnatal day 21",
    "sample_size": 12,
    "outcomes": [
        "Liver oxidative stress biomarkers (malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, glutathione)",
        "Liver histopathology (light microscopy; H&E)",
        "Liver ultrastructure (transmission electron microscopy)"
    ],
    "main_findings": "Male pups from dams exposed prenatally to 900-MHz EMF showed increased malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase and decreased glutathione versus controls. Histology and electron microscopy indicated hydropic degeneration (notably pericentral), mitochondrial vacuolization, endoplasmic reticulum expansion, and necrotic hepatocytes.",
    "effect_direction": "harm",
    "limitations": [
        "Small sample size (n=6 male pups per group)",
        "Only male offspring assessed",
        "Exposure characterization limited (no SAR or field strength reported)",
        "Single postnatal time point (day 21)",
        "Animal study; generalizability to humans is limited"
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "low",
    "confidence": 0.7800000000000000266453525910037569701671600341796875,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
        "900-MHz",
        "RF-EMF",
        "prenatal exposure",
        "rat",
        "liver",
        "oxidative stress",
        "malondialdehyde",
        "superoxide dismutase",
        "glutathione",
        "histopathology",
        "electron microscopy"
    ],
    "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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