Effects of 1.5-GHz high-power microwave exposure on the reproductive systems of male mice

Electromagnetic biology and medicine · 2021 · Mixed · Low evidence

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MixedLow evidencePaper 1199

Study snapshot

PublicationElectromagnetic biology and medicine · 2021

Study typeanimal

Reported directionMixed

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Effects of 1.5-GHz high-power microwave exposure on the reproductive systems of male mice Guofu Dong, Hongmei Zhou, Yan Gao, Xuelong Zhao, Qi Liu, Zhihui Li, Xi Zhao, Jiye Yin, Changzhen Wang. Effects of 1.5-GHz high-power microwave exposure on the reproductive systems of male mice. Electromagn Biol Med. 2021 Mar 10;1-10. doi: 10.1080/15368378.2021.1891091. Abstract High-power microwaves (HPMs) have been reported to have hazardous effects on multiple human and animal organs. However, the biological effects of 1.5-GHz HPMs on the reproductive system are not clear. Here, we studied the effects of 1.5 -GHz HPM whole-body exposure on the pathological structure of the testicles and changes in spermatozoa mobility. C57BL/6 mice of groups L, M, and H were exposed to 1.5-GHz HPM fields for two 15-min intervals at the average specific absorption rates of 3, 6, and 12 W/Kg, respectively. The pathological structure of the testicles and spermatozoa, as well as serum testosterone and sperm motility parameters, were evaluated at 6 h, 1 d, 3 d, and 7 d after exposure. As a result, there were no significant pathological or ultrastructural changes in the testicles or spermatozoa and serum testosterone levels. The number of progressively motile spermatozoa, curvilinear velocity, linear velocity, and average path velocity of the exposure group increased at 6 h, decreased at 1 d, and recovered at 3 d. The opposite results were considered a stress response to the thermal effect of the microwaves. Our results indicated that 1.5-GHz HPM whole-body exposure in mice at SARs of 3, 6, and 12 W/Kg for 30 min did not cause obvious damage to the reproductive system. 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 directionmixed

PopulationMale C57BL/6 mice

Sample sizeNot supplied

Exposuremicrowave · 1500 MHz · Two 15-min intervals (30 min total) whole-body exposure; assessed at 6 h, 1 d, 3 d, 7 d post-exposure

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Male C57BL/6 mice were exposed whole-body to 1.5-GHz high-power microwaves at average SARs of 3, 6, and 12 W/kg for two 15-min intervals. No significant pathological or ultrastructural changes in testicles or spermatozoa and no significant changes in serum testosterone were observed; sperm motility parameters increased at 6 h, decreased at 1 d, and recovered by 3 d post-exposure, interpreted as a stress response to thermal effects.

Outcomes measured

Testicular pathological structure
Testicular ultrastructure
Spermatozoa pathological/ultrastructural changes
Serum testosterone levels
Sperm motility parameters (progressively motile spermatozoa, curvilinear velocity, linear velocity, average path velocity)

Limitations

Sample size not reported in abstract
Exposure described as high-power microwave but limited to short-term (30 min) exposure with follow-up only up to 7 days
Thermal effects/stress response noted, which may complicate interpretation of non-thermal effects

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "microwave",
    "source": null,
    "frequency_mhz": 1500,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "Two 15-min intervals (30 min total) whole-body exposure; assessed at 6 h, 1 d, 3 d, 7 d post-exposure"
  },
  "population": "Male C57BL/6 mice",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Testicular pathological structure",
    "Testicular ultrastructure",
    "Spermatozoa pathological/ultrastructural changes",
    "Serum testosterone levels",
    "Sperm motility parameters (progressively motile spermatozoa, curvilinear velocity, linear velocity, average path velocity)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Male C57BL/6 mice were exposed whole-body to 1.5-GHz high-power microwaves at average SARs of 3, 6, and 12 W/kg for two 15-min intervals. No significant pathological or ultrastructural changes in testicles or spermatozoa and no significant changes in serum testosterone were observed; sperm motility parameters increased at 6 h, decreased at 1 d, and recovered by 3 d post-exposure, interpreted as a stress response to thermal effects.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [
    "Sample size not reported in abstract",
    "Exposure described as high-power microwave but limited to short-term (30 min) exposure with follow-up only up to 7 days",
    "Thermal effects/stress response noted, which may complicate interpretation of non-thermal effects"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "high-power microwave",
    "1.5 GHz",
    "microwave exposure",
    "whole-body exposure",
    "specific absorption rate",
    "SAR",
    "male mice",
    "C57BL/6",
    "reproductive system",
    "testis",
    "sperm motility",
    "testosterone",
    "thermal effect"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "animal-studies",
      "weight": 0.9,
      "reason": "Controlled whole-body microwave exposure experiment in mice assessing 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: 10.1080/15368378.2021.1891091
PubMed: 33688776

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