Effect of 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation on oxidative stress in rat brain and serum.

Electromagnetic biology and medicine · 2013 · Harm · Low evidence

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HarmLow evidencePaper 4633

Study snapshot

PublicationElectromagnetic biology and medicine · 2013

Study typeanimal

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

The increasing use of mobile telephones raises the question of possible adverse effects of the electromagnetic fields (EMF) that these phones produce. In this study, we examined the oxidative stress in the brain tissue and serum of rats that resulted from exposure to a 900-MHz EMF at a whole body average specific absorption rate (SAR) of 1.08 W/kg for 1 h/day for 3 weeks. We also examined the antioxidant effect of garlic powder (500 mg/kg/day) given orally to EMF-exposed rats. We found that malondialdehyde (MDA) (p < 0.001) and advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP) (p < 0.05) increased in rat brain tissue exposed to the EMF and that garlic reduced these effects (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the nitric oxide (NO) levels in the brain. Paraoxonase (PON) was not detected in the brain. There was a significant increase in the levels of NO (p < 0.001) detected in the serum after EMF exposure, and garlic intake did not affect this increase in NO. Our results suggest that there is a significant increase in brain lipid and protein oxidation after electromagnetic radiation (EMR) exposure and that garlic has a protective effect against this oxidative stress.

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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 · 900 MHz · 1.08 W/kg · 1 h/day for 3 weeks

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Rats exposed to 900 MHz EMF (whole-body average SAR 1.08 W/kg; 1 h/day for 3 weeks) had increased brain malondialdehyde (MDA) (p<0.001) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) (p<0.05); garlic powder reduced these increases (p<0.05). Brain nitric oxide (NO) did not differ significantly and paraoxonase (PON) was not detected in brain. Serum NO increased after EMF exposure (p<0.001) and garlic did not affect this increase.

Outcomes measured

Oxidative stress markers in brain tissue (MDA, AOPP, NO, PON)
Oxidative stress marker in serum (NO)
Effect of garlic powder supplementation on EMF-related oxidative stress

Limitations

Sample size not reported in abstract
Animal study; generalizability to humans not addressed in abstract
Exposure conditions limited to one frequency, SAR, and duration
Garlic intervention may confound attribution of effects solely to RF exposure for some outcomes

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile phone",
    "frequency_mhz": 900,
    "sar_wkg": 1.08,
    "duration": "1 h/day for 3 weeks"
  },
  "population": "Rats",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Oxidative stress markers in brain tissue (MDA, AOPP, NO, PON)",
    "Oxidative stress marker in serum (NO)",
    "Effect of garlic powder supplementation on EMF-related oxidative stress"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Rats exposed to 900 MHz EMF (whole-body average SAR 1.08 W/kg; 1 h/day for 3 weeks) had increased brain malondialdehyde (MDA) (p<0.001) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) (p<0.05); garlic powder reduced these increases (p<0.05). Brain nitric oxide (NO) did not differ significantly and paraoxonase (PON) was not detected in brain. Serum NO increased after EMF exposure (p<0.001) and garlic did not affect this increase.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Sample size not reported in abstract",
    "Animal study; generalizability to humans not addressed in abstract",
    "Exposure conditions limited to one frequency, SAR, and duration",
    "Garlic intervention may confound attribution of effects solely to RF exposure for some outcomes"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "900 MHz",
    "radiofrequency",
    "EMF",
    "SAR",
    "rat",
    "brain",
    "serum",
    "oxidative stress",
    "malondialdehyde",
    "AOPP",
    "nitric oxide",
    "garlic powder",
    "antioxidant"
  ],
  "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: 10.3109/15368378.2012.699012
PubMed: 23301880

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