Histopathologic effects of mobile phone radiation exposure on the testes and sperm parameters: a

Frontiers in Reproductive Health · 2025 · Harm · Low evidence

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HarmLow evidencePaper 265

Study snapshot

PublicationFrontiers in Reproductive Health · 2025

Study typesystematic_review

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Histopathologic effects of mobile phone radiation exposure on the testes and sperm parameters: a systematic literature review of animal studies Assefa EM, Abdu SM. Histopathologic effects of mobile phone radiation exposure on the testes and sperm parameters: a systematic literature review of animal studies. Front Reprod Health. 2025 Jan 17;6:1515166. doi: 10.3389/frph.2024.1515166. Abstract Introduction: Male infertility, often attributed to insufficient production of healthy and active sperm, can be exacerbated by electromagnetic radiation emitted from mobile phones, which disrupts normal spermatogenesis and leads to a notable decline in sperm quality. The main targets of mobile phone- induced damage in the testes are Leydig cells, seminiferous tubules, and sperm cells. The aim of this systematic literature review is to identify histopathological changes in the testes due to mobile phone radiation exposure and to examine its effects on sperm parameters in experimental animals. Methods: In this systematic review, an extensive literature search was conducted across databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, Hinari, and Google scholar. Results: A total of 752 studies were identified for screening, and 18 studies were deemed eligible for data extraction. Studies have identified histopathological alterations in testicular tissue caused by mobile phone radiation, such as reduced seminiferous tubule diameter, tunica albuginea and germinal epithelial thickness, Leydig cell hypoplasia, and increased intertubular space. Consistent exposure to mobile phone radiation has been shown to significantly reduce sperm count, motility, and viability, while also increasing abnormal sperm morphology in male rats, mice, and rabbits. Conclusion: Animal studies indicate that electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones can negatively impact testicular tissue and sperm parameters, including sperm count, motility, viability, and morphology. As a precaution, preventive measures are recommended to minimize potential risks from mobile phone exposure, and further research is needed to fully understand its effects on human reproductive health. Open access paper: frontiersin.org health/articles/10.3389/frph.2024.1515166

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AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typesystematic_review

Effect directionharm

PopulationExperimental animals (male rats, mice, rabbits)

Sample size18

ExposureRF

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

This systematic review included 18 eligible animal studies reporting testicular histopathological alterations after mobile phone radiation exposure (e.g., reduced seminiferous tubule diameter and epithelial thickness, Leydig cell hypoplasia, increased intertubular space). Across included studies, exposure was reported to reduce sperm count, motility, and viability and increase abnormal sperm morphology in male rats, mice, and rabbits.

Outcomes measured

Testicular histopathology (e.g., seminiferous tubule diameter, tunica albuginea thickness, germinal epithelial thickness, Leydig cell hypoplasia, intertubular space)
Sperm count
Sperm motility
Sperm viability
Abnormal sperm morphology

Limitations

Frequency, SAR, and exposure duration details are not reported in the provided abstract.
Findings are based on animal studies; human reproductive health implications are not directly assessed in the included evidence (as described in the abstract).
No risk-of-bias assessment, effect sizes, or quantitative synthesis details are provided in the abstract.

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "systematic_review",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile phone",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "Experimental animals (male rats, mice, rabbits)",
  "sample_size": 18,
  "outcomes": [
    "Testicular histopathology (e.g., seminiferous tubule diameter, tunica albuginea thickness, germinal epithelial thickness, Leydig cell hypoplasia, intertubular space)",
    "Sperm count",
    "Sperm motility",
    "Sperm viability",
    "Abnormal sperm morphology"
  ],
  "main_findings": "This systematic review included 18 eligible animal studies reporting testicular histopathological alterations after mobile phone radiation exposure (e.g., reduced seminiferous tubule diameter and epithelial thickness, Leydig cell hypoplasia, increased intertubular space). Across included studies, exposure was reported to reduce sperm count, motility, and viability and increase abnormal sperm morphology in male rats, mice, and rabbits.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Frequency, SAR, and exposure duration details are not reported in the provided abstract.",
    "Findings are based on animal studies; human reproductive health implications are not directly assessed in the included evidence (as described in the abstract).",
    "No risk-of-bias assessment, effect sizes, or quantitative synthesis details are provided in the abstract."
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "mobile phone radiation",
    "electromagnetic radiation",
    "RF",
    "testes",
    "histopathology",
    "spermatogenesis",
    "sperm parameters",
    "male infertility",
    "rats",
    "mice",
    "rabbits",
    "systematic review"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "rf-mobile-phones",
      "weight": 0.9,
      "reason": "Systematic review of animal studies on mobile phone radiation exposure and reproductive outcomes."
    }
  ]
}

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

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.3389/frph.2024.1515166
PubMed: Not supplied

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