Effects of 220 MHz Pulsed Modulated Radiofrequency Field on the Sperm Quality in Rats

2019 · Harm · Low evidence

← Research stream

HarmLow evidencePaper 1838

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2019

Study typeanimal

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Effects of 220 MHz Pulsed Modulated Radiofrequency Field on the Sperm Quality in Rats Guo L, Lin JJ, Xue YZ, An GZ, Zhang JP, Zhang KY, He W, Wang H, Li W, Ding GR. Effects of 220 MHz Pulsed Modulated Radiofrequency Field on the Sperm Quality in Rats. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Apr 10;16(7). pii: E1286. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16071286. Abstract Under some occupational conditions, workers are inevitably exposed to high-intensity radiofrequency (RF) fields. In this study, we investigated the effects of one-month exposure to a 220 MHz pulsed modulated RF field at the power density of 50 W/m² on the sperm quality in male adult rats. The sperm quality was evaluated by measuring the number, abnormality and survival rate of sperm cells. The morphology of testis was examined by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The levels of secreting factors by Sertoli cells (SCs) and Leydig cells (LCs) were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The level of cleaved caspase 3 in the testis was detected by immunofluorescence staining. Finally, the expression levels of the apoptosis-related protein (caspase 3, BAX and BCL2) in the testis were assessed by Western blotting. Compared with the sham group, the sperm quality in the RF group decreased significantly. The levels of secreting factors of SCs and the morphology of the testis showed an obvious change after RF exposure. The level of the secreting factor of LCs decreased significantly after RF exposure. The levels of cleaved caspase 3, caspase 3, and the BAX/BCL2 ratio in the testis increased markedly after RF exposure. These data collectively suggested that under the present experimental conditions, 220 MHz pulsed modulated RF exposure could impair sperm quality in rats, and the disruption of the secreting function of LCs and increased apoptosis of testis cells induced by the RF field might be accounted for by this damaging effect. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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 directionharm

Populationmale adult rats

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureRF · 220 MHz · one-month exposure

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Compared with the sham group, sperm quality in the RF-exposed group decreased significantly after one month of 220 MHz pulsed modulated RF exposure at 50 W/m². Testis morphology and Sertoli cell secreting factors showed obvious changes, Leydig cell secreting factor levels decreased significantly, and apoptosis-related markers (cleaved caspase 3, caspase 3, and BAX/BCL2 ratio) increased markedly.

Outcomes measured

sperm number
sperm abnormality
sperm survival rate
testis morphology (HE staining)
Sertoli cell secreting factors (ELISA)
Leydig cell secreting factor (ELISA)
cleaved caspase 3 in testis (immunofluorescence)
caspase 3, BAX, BCL2 expression in testis (Western blot)
BAX/BCL2 ratio

Limitations

Sample size not reported in the provided abstract/metadata
Specific exposure metrics beyond frequency and power density (e.g., SAR) not reported in the provided abstract/metadata
Details of exposure regimen (e.g., daily duration) not reported in the provided abstract/metadata

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "occupational",
    "frequency_mhz": 220,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "one-month exposure"
  },
  "population": "male adult rats",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "sperm number",
    "sperm abnormality",
    "sperm survival rate",
    "testis morphology (HE staining)",
    "Sertoli cell secreting factors (ELISA)",
    "Leydig cell secreting factor (ELISA)",
    "cleaved caspase 3 in testis (immunofluorescence)",
    "caspase 3, BAX, BCL2 expression in testis (Western blot)",
    "BAX/BCL2 ratio"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Compared with the sham group, sperm quality in the RF-exposed group decreased significantly after one month of 220 MHz pulsed modulated RF exposure at 50 W/m². Testis morphology and Sertoli cell secreting factors showed obvious changes, Leydig cell secreting factor levels decreased significantly, and apoptosis-related markers (cleaved caspase 3, caspase 3, and BAX/BCL2 ratio) increased markedly.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Sample size not reported in the provided abstract/metadata",
    "Specific exposure metrics beyond frequency and power density (e.g., SAR) not reported in the provided abstract/metadata",
    "Details of exposure regimen (e.g., daily duration) not reported in the provided abstract/metadata"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "220 MHz",
    "pulsed modulated",
    "radiofrequency",
    "power density 50 W/m²",
    "rats",
    "sperm quality",
    "testis",
    "Sertoli cells",
    "Leydig cells",
    "apoptosis",
    "caspase 3",
    "BAX",
    "BCL2"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "occupational-exposure",
      "weight": 0.86,
      "reason": "Abstract frames exposure as relevant to occupational conditions and uses high-intensity RF fields."
    }
  ]
}

AI can be wrong. Always verify against the paper.

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: 10.3390/ijerph16071286
PubMed: Not supplied

Read the original paper →

Related papers

← Back to the Research Library