Effects of 5G mobile phone network electromagnetic field exposure on testicular endoplasmic

Archives of medical research · 2025 · Harm · Low evidence

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HarmLow evidencePaper 274

Study snapshot

PublicationArchives of medical research · 2025

Study typeanimal

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Effects of 5G mobile phone network electromagnetic field exposure on testicular endoplasmic reticulum stress and the protective role of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) Yilmaz H, Tümkaya L, Mercantepe T, Yılmaz A, Gül F, Suzan ZT. Effects of 5G mobile phone network electromagnetic field exposure on testicular endoplasmic reticulum stress and the protective role of coenzyme Q10. Arch Med Res. 2025 Jan 6;56(4):103157. doi: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2024.103157. Abstract Aim: Nowadays, the electromagnetic field (EMF) has become an issue of electromagnetic pollution. This study aimed to determine the effect of 5 G Fr1 frequency band EMF waves on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in testicular tissue and to demonstrate the efficacy of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in suppressing the potential situation. Materials and methods: Three groups of eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were established. In group I (control) received only saline solution by oral gavage. In group II (EMF), saline solution was administered by oral gavage and the rats were exposed to 5.9 GHz EMF for 2 h/d (09:00-11:00). In group III (EMF+ CoQ10), the EMF exposure was created in the same way as in group II and CoQ10 was given daily at 10 mg/kg (CoQ10), 2 mg/kg dissolved in corn oil and administered by oral gavage for the experimental period (30 days). Results: Histopathological damage, including edematous regions, vascular congestion, and neutrophil inflammation accompanied by loss of spermatogenic cells, particularly spermatozoa, and spermatids, increased thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) and decreased total thiol (TT) levels were observed in the seminiferous tubules in the EMF group. Furthermore, germinal epithelial cells showing intense GRP-78 immunopositivity and spermatogenic cells indicating C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) immunopositivity were increased in the seminiferous tubules. On the other hand, in the EMF+CoQ10 group, both histopathological and biochemical findings were observed in the opposite direction. Conclusion: Due to its antioxidant properties and its ability to suppress oxidative stress and apoptosis, CoQ10 may be a promising candidate against 5 G EMF-induced testicular ER damage. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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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 typeanimal

Effect directionharm

PopulationMale Sprague-Dawley rats

Sample size24

ExposureRF · 5900 MHz · 2 h/day for 30 days

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Rats exposed to 5.9 GHz EMF (2 h/day for 30 days) showed testicular histopathological damage with loss of spermatogenic cells, increased TBARS and decreased total thiol, and increased GRP-78 and CHOP immunopositivity in seminiferous tubules versus control. In the EMF+CoQ10 group, histopathological, biochemical, and immunohistochemical findings were reported to be in the opposite direction compared with EMF alone.

Outcomes measured

Testicular histopathology (edema, vascular congestion, neutrophil inflammation, loss of spermatogenic cells)
Oxidative stress markers (TBARS, total thiol)
ER stress/apoptosis-related immunohistochemistry (GRP-78, CHOP)
Effect of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation

Limitations

No SAR or dosimetry details reported in the abstract
Small sample size (n=8 per group)
Animal model; generalizability to humans not established in abstract

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile phone network (5G)",
    "frequency_mhz": 5900,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "2 h/day for 30 days"
  },
  "population": "Male Sprague-Dawley rats",
  "sample_size": 24,
  "outcomes": [
    "Testicular histopathology (edema, vascular congestion, neutrophil inflammation, loss of spermatogenic cells)",
    "Oxidative stress markers (TBARS, total thiol)",
    "ER stress/apoptosis-related immunohistochemistry (GRP-78, CHOP)",
    "Effect of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Rats exposed to 5.9 GHz EMF (2 h/day for 30 days) showed testicular histopathological damage with loss of spermatogenic cells, increased TBARS and decreased total thiol, and increased GRP-78 and CHOP immunopositivity in seminiferous tubules versus control. In the EMF+CoQ10 group, histopathological, biochemical, and immunohistochemical findings were reported to be in the opposite direction compared with EMF alone.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "No SAR or dosimetry details reported in the abstract",
    "Small sample size (n=8 per group)",
    "Animal model; generalizability to humans not established in abstract"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "5G",
    "FR1",
    "5.9 GHz",
    "RF-EMF",
    "testis",
    "endoplasmic reticulum stress",
    "GRP-78",
    "CHOP",
    "oxidative stress",
    "TBARS",
    "total thiol",
    "coenzyme Q10",
    "Sprague-Dawley rat"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "5g-policy",
      "weight": 0.62,
      "reason": "Study explicitly examines 5G FR1 (5.9 GHz) EMF exposure effects."
    }
  ]
}

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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: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2024.103157
PubMed: 39765017

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