Synergistic Effects of 2600 MHz Radiofrequency Exposure and Indomethacin on Oxidative Stress and Gastric Mucosal Injury in Rats

Bratislava Medical Journal · 2025 · Harm · Low evidence

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HarmLow evidencePaper 2507

Study snapshot

PublicationBratislava Medical Journal · 2025

Study typeanimal

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Category: Toxicology Tags: radiofrequency, oxidative stress, gastric injury, indomethacin, NSAIDs, apoptosis, electromagnetic fields DOI: 10.1007/s44411-025-00382-4 URL: link.springer.com Overview With the widespread use of mobile technologies and NSAIDs, there is increasing concern about their combined impact on gastric health. This research investigates the synergistic effects of 2600 MHz radiofrequency field (RFF) exposure together with indomethacin (IND), a commonly used NSAID, in rats, focusing on oxidative stress and gastric mucosal injury. Materials and Methods - Forty male Wistar albino rats divided into five groups: control, sham, IND, RFF, and IND + RFF. - Exposure protocol: 2600 MHz RFF (1 hr/day, 5 days/week for 15 days) and/or IND (4 mg/kg, intragastric gavage). - Gastric tissues were assessed biochemically for oxidative markers (TOS, OSI, MDA, GSSG), antioxidant markers (TAC, SOD, CAT, GSH, GPx), histologically for tissue injury, and immunohistochemically for HSP70 and apoptosis. Findings - Both IND and RFF alone significantly increased oxidative stress markers and lowered antioxidant levels in gastric tissues (p < 0.001). - Combined IND + RFF exposure resulted in significantly greater gastric injury, including increased HSP70 expression and higher apoptotic cell counts compared to separate exposures (p < 0.001). Conclusion Co-exposure to 2600 MHz RFF and IND greatly intensified oxidative stress, apoptosis, and gastric mucosal injury in rats. The findings indicate a synergistic detrimental effect, where combined exposure causes more severe gastric tissue damage than either factor alone. This highlights a connection between electromagnetic fields and amplified health risks when combined with common pharmaceuticals.

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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 Wistar albino rats

Sample size40

ExposureRF · 2600 MHz · 1 hr/day, 5 days/week for 15 days

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

In rats, 2600 MHz radiofrequency field exposure and indomethacin each significantly increased gastric oxidative stress markers and reduced antioxidant levels (p < 0.001). Combined indomethacin + radiofrequency exposure produced significantly greater gastric mucosal injury, higher HSP70 expression, and increased apoptotic cell counts compared with either exposure alone (p < 0.001).

Outcomes measured

Oxidative stress markers (TOS, OSI, MDA, GSSG) in gastric tissue
Antioxidant markers (TAC, SOD, CAT, GSH, GPx) in gastric tissue
Histological gastric mucosal injury
HSP70 expression (immunohistochemistry)
Apoptotic cell counts (immunohistochemistry)

Limitations

SAR (W/kg) not reported in the abstract
Animal study; generalizability to humans not established in the abstract
Exposure setup/dosimetry details beyond frequency and schedule not provided in the abstract

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "other",
    "frequency_mhz": 2600,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "1 hr/day, 5 days/week for 15 days"
  },
  "population": "Male Wistar albino rats",
  "sample_size": 40,
  "outcomes": [
    "Oxidative stress markers (TOS, OSI, MDA, GSSG) in gastric tissue",
    "Antioxidant markers (TAC, SOD, CAT, GSH, GPx) in gastric tissue",
    "Histological gastric mucosal injury",
    "HSP70 expression (immunohistochemistry)",
    "Apoptotic cell counts (immunohistochemistry)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "In rats, 2600 MHz radiofrequency field exposure and indomethacin each significantly increased gastric oxidative stress markers and reduced antioxidant levels (p < 0.001). Combined indomethacin + radiofrequency exposure produced significantly greater gastric mucosal injury, higher HSP70 expression, and increased apoptotic cell counts compared with either exposure alone (p < 0.001).",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "SAR (W/kg) not reported in the abstract",
    "Animal study; generalizability to humans not established in the abstract",
    "Exposure setup/dosimetry details beyond frequency and schedule not provided in the abstract"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "radiofrequency",
    "2600 MHz",
    "oxidative stress",
    "gastric mucosal injury",
    "indomethacin",
    "NSAIDs",
    "apoptosis",
    "HSP70",
    "rats"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "who-icnirp",
      "weight": 0.2,
      "reason": "RF exposure health effects context; no explicit WHO/ICNIRP mention in abstract."
    }
  ]
}

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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: 10.1007/s44411-025-00382-4
PubMed: Not supplied

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