The effect of pulsed 900-MHz GSM mobile phone radiation on the acrosome reaction, head morphometry and zona binding of human spermatozoa

Int J Androl · 2011 · Mixed · Low evidence

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MixedLow evidencePaper 4481

Highly motile human spermatozoa exposed in vitro for 1 hour to 900-MHz GSM mobile phone radiation at 2.0 W/kg showed no effect on propensity for the acrosome reaction. Exposed sperm had reduced head area and acrosome percentage of head area, and showed decrea…

Study snapshot

PublicationInt J Androl · 2011

Study typein_vitro

Reported directionMixed

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Several recent studies have indicated that radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) have an adverse effect on human sperm quality, which could translate into an effect on fertilization potential. This study evaluated the effect of RF-EMF on sperm-specific characteristics to assess the fertilizing competence of sperm. Highly motile human spermatozoa were exposed for 1 h to 900-MHz mobile phone radiation at a specific absorption rate of 2.0 W/kg and examined at various times after exposure. The acrosome reaction was evaluated using flow cytometry. The radiation did not affect sperm propensity for the acrosome reaction. Morphometric parameters were assessed using computer-assisted sperm analysis. Significant reduction in sperm head area (9.2 ± 0.7 μm² vs. 18.8 ± 1.4 μm²) and acrosome percentage of the head area (21.5 ± 4% vs. 35.5 ± 11.4%) was reported among exposed sperm compared with unexposed controls. Sperm-zona binding was assessed directly after exposure using the hemizona assay. The mean number of zona-bound sperm of the test hemizona and controls was 22.8 ± 12.4 and 31.8 ± 12.8 (p < 0.05), respectively. This study concludes that although RF-EMF exposure did not adversely affect the acrosome reaction, it had a significant effect on sperm morphometry. In addition, a significant decrease in sperm binding to the hemizona was observed. These results could indicate a significant effect of RF-EMF on sperm fertilization potential.

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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 typein_vitro

Effect directionmixed

PopulationHighly motile human spermatozoa

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureRF · 900 MHz · 2 W/kg · 1 h

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 95% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Outcomes measured

Acrosome reaction
Sperm head morphometry
Acrosome percentage of head area
Sperm-zona binding (hemizona assay)
Fertilization potential indicators

Limitations

In vitro study
Sample size not stated in the abstract
Only highly motile human spermatozoa were studied
Short exposure duration (1 h)

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "in_vitro",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile phone",
    "frequency_mhz": 900,
    "sar_wkg": 2,
    "duration": "1 h"
  },
  "population": "Highly motile human spermatozoa",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Acrosome reaction",
    "Sperm head morphometry",
    "Acrosome percentage of head area",
    "Sperm-zona binding (hemizona assay)",
    "Fertilization potential indicators"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Highly motile human spermatozoa exposed in vitro for 1 hour to 900-MHz GSM mobile phone radiation at 2.0 W/kg showed no effect on propensity for the acrosome reaction. Exposed sperm had reduced head area and acrosome percentage of head area, and showed decreased zona binding compared with unexposed controls.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [
    "In vitro study",
    "Sample size not stated in the abstract",
    "Only highly motile human spermatozoa were studied",
    "Short exposure duration (1 h)"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.95,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "RF-EMF",
    "900 MHz",
    "GSM",
    "mobile phone radiation",
    "human spermatozoa",
    "acrosome reaction",
    "sperm morphometry",
    "zona binding",
    "hemizona assay",
    "fertilization potential",
    "in vitro"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": []
}

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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: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2010.01054.x
PubMed: 20236367

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