Histopathological, immunohistochemical, and stereological analysis of the effect of Gingko biloba (Egb761) on the hippocampus of rats exposed to long-term cellphone radiation

2017 · Harm · Low evidence

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HarmLow evidencePaper 2202

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2017

Study typeanimal

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Histopathological, immunohistochemical, and stereological analysis of the effect of Gingko biloba (Egb761) on the hippocampus of rats exposed to long-term cellphone radiation Gevrek F. Histopathological, immunohistochemical, and stereological analysis of the effect of Gingko biloba (Egb761) on the hippocampus of rats exposed to long-term cellphone radiation. Histol Histopathol. 2017 Nov 9:11943. Abstract Cellular phones are major sources of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) that can penetrate the human body and pose serious health hazards. The increasingly widespread use of mobile communication systems has raised concerns about the effects of cellphone radiofrequency (RF) on the hippocampus because of its close proximity to radiation during cellphone use. The effects of cellphone EMR exposure on the hippocampus of rats and the possible counteractive effects of ginkgo biloba (Egb761) were aimed to investigate. Rats were divided into three groups: Control, EMR, and EMR+Egb761. The EMR and EMR+Egb761 groups were exposed to cellphone EMR for one month. Egb761 was also administered to the EMR+Egb761 group. Specifically, we evaluated the effect of RF exposure on rat hippocampi at harmful EMR levels (0.96 W/kg specific absorption rate [SAR]) for one month and also investigated the possible impact of ginkgo biloba (Egb761) using stereological, TUNEL-staining, and immunohistochemical methods. An increase in apoptotic proteins (Bax, Acas-3) and a decrease in anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2) immunoreactivity along with a decrease in the total granule and pyramidal cell count were noted in the EMR group. A decrease in Bax and Acas-3 and an increase in Bcl-2 immunoreactivity were observed in rats treated with Egb761 in addition to a decrease in TUNEL-stained apoptotic cells and a higher total viable cell number. In conclusion, chronic cellphone EMR exposure may affect hippocampal cell viability, and Egb761 may be used to mitigate some of the deleterious effects. 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

PopulationRats

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureRF · 0.96 W/kg · one month

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Rats exposed to cellphone EMR (SAR 0.96 W/kg) for one month showed increased pro-apoptotic markers (Bax, caspase-3), decreased anti-apoptotic marker (Bcl-2), and reduced granule and pyramidal cell counts in the hippocampus versus control. In the EMR+Egb761 group, Bax/caspase-3 decreased and Bcl-2 increased, with fewer TUNEL-positive cells and higher viable cell numbers compared with EMR alone.

Outcomes measured

Hippocampal histopathology
Immunohistochemical markers of apoptosis (Bax, caspase-3, Bcl-2)
TUNEL-stained apoptotic cells
Stereological total granule and pyramidal cell counts / viable cell number

Limitations

Sample size not reported in provided abstract/metadata
Exposure frequency and other dosimetry details not reported (beyond SAR)
Animal study; human health implications not directly assessed
Intervention (Egb761) complicates attribution to exposure alone for some comparisons

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile phone",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": 0.96,
    "duration": "one month"
  },
  "population": "Rats",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Hippocampal histopathology",
    "Immunohistochemical markers of apoptosis (Bax, caspase-3, Bcl-2)",
    "TUNEL-stained apoptotic cells",
    "Stereological total granule and pyramidal cell counts / viable cell number"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Rats exposed to cellphone EMR (SAR 0.96 W/kg) for one month showed increased pro-apoptotic markers (Bax, caspase-3), decreased anti-apoptotic marker (Bcl-2), and reduced granule and pyramidal cell counts in the hippocampus versus control. In the EMR+Egb761 group, Bax/caspase-3 decreased and Bcl-2 increased, with fewer TUNEL-positive cells and higher viable cell numbers compared with EMR alone.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Sample size not reported in provided abstract/metadata",
    "Exposure frequency and other dosimetry details not reported (beyond SAR)",
    "Animal study; human health implications not directly assessed",
    "Intervention (Egb761) complicates attribution to exposure alone for some comparisons"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "cellphone radiation",
    "radiofrequency",
    "SAR",
    "hippocampus",
    "rat",
    "apoptosis",
    "Bax",
    "caspase-3",
    "Bcl-2",
    "TUNEL",
    "stereology",
    "Ginkgo biloba",
    "Egb761"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "mobile-phones",
      "weight": 0.9,
      "reason": "Cellphone RF (EMR) exposure assessed in an animal model with reported SAR."
    }
  ]
}

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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: Not supplied
PubMed: Not supplied

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