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No Increased DNA Damage Observed in the Brain, Liver, and Lung of Fetal Mice Treated With Ethylnitrosourea and Exposed to UMTS Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields

2020 · No effect · Moderate evidence

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No effectModerate evidencePaper 1815

Pregnant mice were exposed to UMTS RF-EMF (approximately 1,960 MHz) at 0 (sham), 0.04, or 0.4 W/kg SAR and injected with ENU at day 14 post-conception. Compared with sham, RF-EMF exposure had no effect on adenyl DNA adduct formation in fetal brain, liver, or …

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2020
Study typeanimal
Reported directionNo effect
Evidence ratingModerate

Abstract

No Increased DNA Damage Observed in the Brain, Liver, and Lung of Fetal Mice Treated With Ethylnitrosourea and Exposed to UMTS Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields Alexander Lerchl, Melanie Klose, Karen Drees (née Grote). No Increased DNA Damage Observed in the Brain, Liver, and Lung of Fetal Mice Treated With Ethylnitrosourea and Exposed to UMTS Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields. Bioelectromagnetics. 2020 Oct 8. doi: 10.1002/bem.22301. Abstract The widespread use of mobile phones and Wi-Fi-based communication devices makes exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) unavoidable. Previous experiments have revealed the tumor- promoting effects of non-ionizing RF-EMF in adult carcinogen-treated mice in utero. To extend these investigations, we tested whether these effects are due to the co-carcinogenicity of RF-EMF which would manifest as elevated DNA damage. Similar to previous experiments, pregnant mice were exposed to RF-EMF (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System [UMTS] standard, approximately 1,960 MHz) from day 7 post- conception (p.c.) at 0 (sham), 0.04, and 0.4 W/kg SAR. At day 14 p.c., the mice were injected with the carcinogen ethylnitrosourea (ENU, 40 mg/kg). At three time-points specifically 24, 36, and 72 h later, the pregnant females were sacrificed and the fetuses (n = 24-57) were removed. A dye (cy3) specific for adenyl adducts was used to detect DNA damage by fluorescence microscopy in the brain, liver, and lung of each fetus. Compared to control (0 W/kg SAR), exposure to RF-EMF had no effect on the formation of DNA adducts in the inspected tissues. We conclude that increased adenyl formation of DNA by RF-EMF exposure is not a valid explanation for the previously reported tumor-promoting effects of RF-RMF. Our findings may help to gain a deeper insight into the biological effects of RF-EMF exposure in the context of malignancy. Conclusions In summary, our data demonstrate that exposing the brain and other tissues of fetal mice to RF-EMF of relevant intensities does not cause any significant damage to DNA molecules when compared to the DNA damage caused by ENU alone. This is in agreement with the theoretical biophysical considerations as well as with the vast majority of epidemiological data that show no increase in brain tumors in humans even after extensive use of mobile phones. However, our study only measured the amount of adenyl adducts formed as an indicator of DNA damage. Further studies should focus on other markers that indicate DNA damage such as DNA strand breaks, micronucleus assay, and oxidative damage to provide a comprehensive picture of any potential biological damages caused by RF-EMF. Open access paper: onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Machine Enhanced Logic

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 directionno_effect
PopulationPregnant mice and fetuses (fetal mice tissues: brain, liver, lung)
Sample sizeNot supplied
ExposureRF · 1960 MHz · From day 7 post-conception; outcomes assessed 24, 36, and 72 h after ENU injection at day 14 post-conception
Evidence strengthModerateConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Pregnant mice were exposed to UMTS RF-EMF (approximately 1,960 MHz) at 0 (sham), 0.04, or 0.4 W/kg SAR and injected with ENU at day 14 post-conception. Compared with sham, RF-EMF exposure had no effect on adenyl DNA adduct formation in fetal brain, liver, or lung at 24, 36, or 72 hours after ENU.

Outcomes measured

  • DNA damage (adenyl DNA adduct formation detected with cy3 dye) in fetal brain, liver, and lung

Limitations

  • Only one DNA damage marker was assessed (adenyl adducts); other endpoints (e.g., strand breaks, micronucleus, oxidative damage) were not measured.
  • Sample size reported as a range for fetuses (n = 24–57) without clear allocation per group/time point in the abstract.
View raw extracted JSON
{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "UMTS (mobile telecommunications)",
    "frequency_mhz": 1960,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "From day 7 post-conception; outcomes assessed 24, 36, and 72 h after ENU injection at day 14 post-conception"
  },
  "population": "Pregnant mice and fetuses (fetal mice tissues: brain, liver, lung)",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "DNA damage (adenyl DNA adduct formation detected with cy3 dye) in fetal brain, liver, and lung"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Pregnant mice were exposed to UMTS RF-EMF (approximately 1,960 MHz) at 0 (sham), 0.04, or 0.4 W/kg SAR and injected with ENU at day 14 post-conception. Compared with sham, RF-EMF exposure had no effect on adenyl DNA adduct formation in fetal brain, liver, or lung at 24, 36, or 72 hours after ENU.",
  "effect_direction": "no_effect",
  "limitations": [
    "Only one DNA damage marker was assessed (adenyl adducts); other endpoints (e.g., strand breaks, micronucleus, oxidative damage) were not measured.",
    "Sample size reported as a range for fetuses (n = 24–57) without clear allocation per group/time point in the abstract."
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "moderate",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "RF-EMF",
    "UMTS",
    "1960 MHz",
    "SAR",
    "ethylnitrosourea",
    "ENU",
    "fetal mice",
    "DNA adducts",
    "adenyl adducts",
    "brain",
    "liver",
    "lung",
    "co-carcinogenicity"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "who-icnirp",
      "weight": 0.2,
      "reason": "Discusses RF-EMF exposure and relates findings to epidemiological evidence on brain tumors; relevant to RF health risk assessment context."
    }
  ]
}
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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: 10.1002/bem.22301
PubMed: Not supplied

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