Effect of Exposure to 900 MHz GSM Mobile Phone Radiofrequency Radiation on Estrogen Receptor Methylation Status in Colon Cells of Male Sprague Dawley Rats

J Biomed Phys Eng · 2017 · Harm · Low evidence

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HarmLow evidencePaper 2425

Exposure to 900 MHz GSM mobile phone RF radiation altered the ERα gene methylation pattern in rat colon tissue compared with non-exposed controls. No adaptive response in ERα methylation pattern was observed after a subsequent 3 Gy Co-60 gamma-ray challenge d…

Study snapshot

PublicationJ Biomed Phys Eng · 2017

Study typeanimal

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Background: Over the past several years, the rapidly increasing use of mobile phones has raised global concerns about the biological effects of exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation. Numerous studies have shown that exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) can be associated with effects on the nervous, endocrine, immune, cardiovascular, hematopoietic and ocular systems. In spite of genetic diversity, the onset and progression of cancer can be controlled by epigenetic mechanisms such as gene promoter methylation. There are extensive studies on the epigenetic changes of the tumor suppressor genes as well as the identification of methylation biomarkers in colorectal cancer. Some studies have revealed that genetic changes can be induced by exposure to RF radiation. However, whether or not RF radiation is capable of inducing epigenetic alteration has not been clarified yet. To date, no study has been conducted on the effect of radiation on epigenetic alterations in colorectal cancer (CRC). Several studies have also shown that methylation of estrogen receptor α (ERα), MYOD, MGMT, SFRP2 and P16 play an important role in CRC. It can be hypothesized that RF exposure can be a reason for the high incidence of CRC in Iran. This study aimed to investigate whether epigenetic pattern of ERα is susceptible to RF radiation and if RF radiation can induce radioadaptive response as epigenetic changes after receiving the challenge dose (γ-ray). Material and Method: 40 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 equal groups (Group I: exposure to RF radiation of a GSM cell phone for 4 hours and sacrificed after 24 hours; Group II: RF exposure for 4 hours, exposure to Co-60 gamma radiation (3 Gy) after 24 hours and sacrificed after 72 hrs; Group III: only 3Gy gamma radiation; Group 4: control group). DNA from colon tissues was extracted to evaluate the methylation status by methylation specific PCR. Results: Our finding showed that exposure to GSM cell phone RF radiation was capable of altering the pattern of ERα gene methylation compared to that of non-exposed controls. Furthermore, no adaptive response phenomenon was induced in the pattern of ERα gene methylation after exposure to the challenging dose of Co-60 γ-rays. Conclusion: It can be concluded that exposure to RF radiation emitted by GSM mobile phones can lead to epigenetic detrimental changes in ERα promoter methylation pattern.

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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

PopulationMale Sprague-Dawley rats (colon tissue/colon cells)

Sample size40

ExposureRF · 900 MHz · 4 hours

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Outcomes measured

Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) promoter methylation status in colon tissue (methylation-specific PCR)
Radioadaptive response in ERα methylation after challenge dose of Co-60 gamma radiation (3 Gy)

Limitations

Specific absorption rate (SAR) not reported in abstract
Details of exposure setup/dosimetry not provided in abstract
Only one epigenetic target (ERα) assessed
Animal model; generalizability to humans not addressed in abstract

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile phone (GSM)",
    "frequency_mhz": 900,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "4 hours"
  },
  "population": "Male Sprague-Dawley rats (colon tissue/colon cells)",
  "sample_size": 40,
  "outcomes": [
    "Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) promoter methylation status in colon tissue (methylation-specific PCR)",
    "Radioadaptive response in ERα methylation after challenge dose of Co-60 gamma radiation (3 Gy)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Exposure to 900 MHz GSM mobile phone RF radiation altered the ERα gene methylation pattern in rat colon tissue compared with non-exposed controls. No adaptive response in ERα methylation pattern was observed after a subsequent 3 Gy Co-60 gamma-ray challenge dose.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Specific absorption rate (SAR) not reported in abstract",
    "Details of exposure setup/dosimetry not provided in abstract",
    "Only one epigenetic target (ERα) assessed",
    "Animal model; generalizability to humans not addressed in abstract"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "900 MHz",
    "GSM",
    "mobile phone",
    "radiofrequency radiation",
    "Sprague-Dawley rats",
    "colon",
    "estrogen receptor alpha",
    "ERα",
    "promoter methylation",
    "epigenetics",
    "methylation-specific PCR",
    "gamma radiation",
    "Co-60",
    "radioadaptive response"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "mobile-phones-rf",
      "weight": 0.9,
      "reason": "Study tests GSM mobile phone RF exposure (900 MHz) and biological effects."
    }
  ]
}

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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: 28451581

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