RF Safe

The protective effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on oxidative stress in rat liver exposed to the 900 MHz electromagnetic field.

Toxicology and industrial health · 2009 · Mixed · Low evidence

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MixedLow evidencePaper 4945

Compared with controls, the 900 MHz EMF group showed increased XO and CAT activities and increased LPO levels, and decreased SOD and GSH-Px activities in rat liver. In the 900 MHz EMF + CAPE group, XO, CAT, and LPO were decreased and SOD and GSH-Px were incre…

Study snapshot

PublicationToxicology and industrial health · 2009
Study typeanimal
Reported directionMixed
Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to investigate the possible protective effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on lipid peroxidation (LPO) and the activities of antioxidant enzymes in the liver of rats exposed to the 900 MHz electromagnetic field (EMF). EMF of cellular phones may affect biological systems by increasing free radical, which appear mainly to enhance LPO, and by changing the antioxidative activities of liver, thus leading to oxidative damage. CAPE, an active component of propolis extract, exhibits antioxidant properties and several studies suggest that supplementation with antioxidant can influence EMF exposure induced hepatotoxicity. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: control (n = 10), 900 MHz EMF (n = 10) and 900 MHz EMF + CAPE (n = 10). CAPE was injected intraperitoneally for 30 days before exposure to EMF. Liver tissue was removed to study the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), xanthine oxidase (XO) and the levels of LPO. The activities of XO, CAT and level of LPO increased in the 900 MHz electromagnetic field (EMF) group compared with the control group, although XO, CAT activities and LPO levels were decreased by 900 MHz EMF + CAPE administration. The activities of SOD and GSH-Px decreased in the 900 MHz EMF group compared with the control group, although their levels were increased by EMF + CAPE administration. It can be concluded that CAPE may prevent the 900 MHz EMF-induced oxidative changes in liver by strengthening the antioxidant defense system by reducing reactive oxygen species and increasing antioxidant enzyme activities.

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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 directionmixed
PopulationMale Sprague-Dawley rats
Sample size30
ExposureRF · 900 MHz · CAPE was injected intraperitoneally for 30 days before exposure to EMF (EMF exposure duration not stated).
Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Compared with controls, the 900 MHz EMF group showed increased XO and CAT activities and increased LPO levels, and decreased SOD and GSH-Px activities in rat liver. In the 900 MHz EMF + CAPE group, XO, CAT, and LPO were decreased and SOD and GSH-Px were increased relative to the EMF-only group.

Outcomes measured

  • Lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels in liver tissue
  • Catalase (CAT) activity in liver tissue
  • Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in liver tissue
  • Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in liver tissue
  • Xanthine oxidase (XO) activity in liver tissue

Limitations

  • EMF exposure duration and exposure metrics (e.g., SAR, field strength) not reported in the abstract
  • Only male rats were studied
  • Small group sizes (n=10 per group)
  • Outcomes limited to oxidative stress biomarkers in liver; no clinical endpoints reported
View raw extracted JSON
{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile phone",
    "frequency_mhz": 900,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "CAPE was injected intraperitoneally for 30 days before exposure to EMF (EMF exposure duration not stated)."
  },
  "population": "Male Sprague-Dawley rats",
  "sample_size": 30,
  "outcomes": [
    "Lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels in liver tissue",
    "Catalase (CAT) activity in liver tissue",
    "Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in liver tissue",
    "Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in liver tissue",
    "Xanthine oxidase (XO) activity in liver tissue"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Compared with controls, the 900 MHz EMF group showed increased XO and CAT activities and increased LPO levels, and decreased SOD and GSH-Px activities in rat liver. In the 900 MHz EMF + CAPE group, XO, CAT, and LPO were decreased and SOD and GSH-Px were increased relative to the EMF-only group.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [
    "EMF exposure duration and exposure metrics (e.g., SAR, field strength) not reported in the abstract",
    "Only male rats were studied",
    "Small group sizes (n=10 per group)",
    "Outcomes limited to oxidative stress biomarkers in liver; no clinical endpoints reported"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "900 MHz",
    "electromagnetic field",
    "RF",
    "rat",
    "liver",
    "oxidative stress",
    "lipid peroxidation",
    "antioxidant enzymes",
    "CAPE",
    "caffeic acid phenethyl ester",
    "propolis"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "rf-oxidative-stress",
      "weight": 0.86,
      "reason": "Assesses liver oxidative stress biomarkers after 900 MHz RF-EMF exposure."
    },
    {
      "slug": "mobile-phones",
      "weight": 0.72,
      "reason": "Exposure described as 900 MHz EMF of cellular phones."
    }
  ]
}
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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: 10.1177/0748233709106821
PubMed: 19671636

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