900 MHz electromagnetic field exposure affects qualitative and quantitative features of hippocampal pyramidal cells in the adult female rat.

Brain research · 2009 · Harm · Low evidence

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HarmLow evidencePaper 4971

Rats exposed postnatally to 900 MHz EMF (1 h/day for 28 days) showed a significant decrease in the number of pyramidal cells in the hippocampal CA region compared with controls (P<0.05). Qualitative histopathological observation also indicated cell loss in th…

Study snapshot

PublicationBrain research · 2009

Study typeanimal

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

The effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) emitted by mobile phones on humans hold special interest due to their use in close proximity to the brain. The current study investigated the number of pyramidal cells in the cornu ammonis (CA) of the 16-week-old female rat hippocampus following postnatal exposure to a 900 megahertz (MHz) EMF. In this study were three groups of 6 rats: control (Cont), sham exposed (Sham), and EMF exposed (EMF). EMF group rats were exposed to 900 MHz EMF (1 h/day for 28 days) in an exposure tube. Sham group was placed in the exposure tube but not exposed to EMF (1 h/day for 28 days). Cont group was not placed into the exposure tube nor were they exposed to EMF during the study period. In EMF group rats, the specific energy absorption rate (SAR) varied between 0.016 (whole body) and 2 W/kg (locally in the head). All of the rats were sacrificed at the end of the experiment and the number of pyramidal cells in the CA was estimated using the optical fractionator technique. Histopathological evaluations were made on sections of the CA region of the hippocampus. Results showed that postnatal EMF exposure caused a significant decrease of the pyramidal cell number in the CA of the EMF group (P<0.05). Additionally, cell loss can be seen in the CA region of EMF group even at qualitative observation. These results may encourage researchers to evaluate the chronic effects of 900 MHz EMF on teenagers' brains.

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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

Population16-week-old female rats

Sample size18

ExposureRF · 900 MHz · 2 W/kg · 1 h/day for 28 days (postnatal exposure)

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 86% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Outcomes measured

Number of hippocampal pyramidal cells in cornu ammonis (CA)
Histopathological/qualitative evaluation of CA region cell loss

Limitations

Small group sizes (three groups of 6 rats)
Animal study; human relevance not directly assessed
Exposure delivered in an exposure tube; potential stress/confinement effects (sham tube control included)

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile phone",
    "frequency_mhz": 900,
    "sar_wkg": 2,
    "duration": "1 h/day for 28 days (postnatal exposure)"
  },
  "population": "16-week-old female rats",
  "sample_size": 18,
  "outcomes": [
    "Number of hippocampal pyramidal cells in cornu ammonis (CA)",
    "Histopathological/qualitative evaluation of CA region cell loss"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Rats exposed postnatally to 900 MHz EMF (1 h/day for 28 days) showed a significant decrease in the number of pyramidal cells in the hippocampal CA region compared with controls (P<0.05). Qualitative histopathological observation also indicated cell loss in the CA region in the EMF-exposed group.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Small group sizes (three groups of 6 rats)",
    "Animal study; human relevance not directly assessed",
    "Exposure delivered in an exposure tube; potential stress/confinement effects (sham tube control included)"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.86,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "900 MHz",
    "RF-EMF",
    "mobile phone",
    "hippocampus",
    "cornu ammonis",
    "pyramidal cells",
    "SAR",
    "rat",
    "postnatal exposure",
    "histopathology",
    "optical fractionator"
  ],
  "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: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.02.011
PubMed: 19230827

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