Morphological changes in the vertebrae and central canal of rat pups born after exposure to the electromagnetic field of pregnant rats

Acta histochemica · 2020 · Harm · Low evidence

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HarmLow evidencePaper 1593

Rat pups born to dams exposed prenatally to 900 MHz EMF showed histopathological changes in vertebrae, described as vertebral cartilage converted into bone tissue. Central canal diameter and area were significantly increased in the exposed pup group versus co…

Study snapshot

PublicationActa histochemica · 2020

Study typeanimal

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Morphological changes in the vertebrae and central canal of rat pups born after exposure to the electromagnetic field of pregnant rats Ayşe İkinci Keleş. Morphological changes in the vertebrae and central canal of rat pups born after exposure to the electromagnetic field of pregnant rats. Acta Histochem. 2020 Nov 12;122(8):151652. doi: 10.1016/j.acthis.2020.151652. Abstract Several studies have investigated the effects of the electromagnetic field (EMF) on the central nervous system. However, we encountered no studies of the effects of EMF applied in the prenatal period on the offspring vertebrae. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of a 900 megahertz (MHz) EMF applied to rat dams in the prenatal period on the vertebrae of rat pups. Female Sprague Dawley rats weighing 180-250 g were used in the experiment. Rats identified as pregnant were divided into two groups, control (n = 3) and EMF (n = 3). No EMF was applied to the control group pregnant rats. EMF was applied to the EMF group rats for 1 h daily on an equal and standard basis on prenatal days 13-21. All newborn rat pups were divided into pup control (n = 6) (PC) and pup EMF (n = 6) (PEMF) groups, and no treatment was performed on either. All animals were decapitated on day 32, and the spinal cord in the upper thoracic region was harvested. Vertebral tissues were subjected to routine histological procedures. Histopathological examination revealed that PEMF group vertebral cartilage had been converted into bone tissue. Comparison of central canal diameter and area values between the PEMF group and the PC group revealed statistically significant increases in the PEMF group (p = 0.000 and p = 0.001, respectively). Statistical analysıs revealed no significant difference in mean body weights between the two groups (p > 0.530). Based on these findings, we think that 900 MHz EMF applied in the prenatal period affects the development of the vertebrae. This effect causes pathological changes in the rat pup vertebrae. These findings now raise the question of whether EMF also has an impact on neurological and neurosurgical diseases involving the vertebrae. 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

PopulationPregnant Sprague Dawley rats (dams) and their offspring (rat pups)

Sample size18

ExposureRF · 900 MHz · 1 h daily on prenatal days 13–21

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Outcomes measured

Histopathological changes in vertebral cartilage/bone (upper thoracic region)
Central canal diameter
Central canal area
Mean body weight

Limitations

Very small number of pregnant rats per group (control n=3, EMF n=3)
Exposure source and dosimetry (e.g., SAR) not reported in abstract
Only one frequency and one exposure schedule studied
Outcomes limited to histology and morphometrics at a single postnatal time point (day 32)

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": null,
    "frequency_mhz": 900,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "1 h daily on prenatal days 13–21"
  },
  "population": "Pregnant Sprague Dawley rats (dams) and their offspring (rat pups)",
  "sample_size": 18,
  "outcomes": [
    "Histopathological changes in vertebral cartilage/bone (upper thoracic region)",
    "Central canal diameter",
    "Central canal area",
    "Mean body weight"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Rat pups born to dams exposed prenatally to 900 MHz EMF showed histopathological changes in vertebrae, described as vertebral cartilage converted into bone tissue. Central canal diameter and area were significantly increased in the exposed pup group versus controls (p=0.000 and p=0.001), while mean body weights did not differ significantly (p>0.530).",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Very small number of pregnant rats per group (control n=3, EMF n=3)",
    "Exposure source and dosimetry (e.g., SAR) not reported in abstract",
    "Only one frequency and one exposure schedule studied",
    "Outcomes limited to histology and morphometrics at a single postnatal time point (day 32)"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "prenatal exposure",
    "900 MHz",
    "RF-EMF",
    "rat pups",
    "vertebrae",
    "central canal",
    "histopathology",
    "Sprague Dawley"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": []
}

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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.acthis.2020.151652
PubMed: 33190055

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