Evaluation of Neuronal PARP-1 and Caspase-3 Levels in the Brain Tissue of Female Rats Exposed to

Abstract

Evaluation of Neuronal PARP-1 and Caspase-3 Levels in the Brain Tissue of Female Rats Exposed to Electromagnetic Fields at Different Gestational Stages Tüfekci KK, Tatar M, Elamin AAE, Kaplan S. An Evaluation of Neuronal PARP-1 and Caspase-3 Levels in the Brain Tissue of Female Rats Exposed to Electromagnetic Fields at Different Gestational Stages. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2025 Feb;85(1):e70010. doi: 10.1002/jdn.70010. Abstract Fetal exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) may cause marked neurocognitive impairment, although the mechanisms involved are still unclear. EMF induces region-specific neuronal and astroglial death in the rat hippocampus. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) regulates necrosis, apoptosis and other cellular processes occurring following injury. This study, therefore, investigated whether PARP-1 also regulates neuronal responses in the hippocampus of rats subjected to EMF radiation during different developmental periods. Male and female rats were first allowed to mate in separate cages. Rats identified as pregnant were then divided into four groups. A 900-MHz EMF was applied for 2 h daily on gestational days (GD) 1-7, GD 8-14 and GD 15-21. The female offspring were sacrificed at the end of the 28th postnatal day, and PARP-1 and Caspase-3 expressions in the hippocampus were then evaluated. No special treatment was applied to the control group. In the EMF-exposed group, pyramidal neurons in the cornu ammonis (CA) region appeared normal after exposure on GD 1-7 but were darkly stained and shrunken after exposure on GD 15-21, while the majority of granular cells exhibited a normal appearance during all GDs. The group exposed to EMF on GD 15-21 exhibited strong PARP-1 and Caspase-3 immune reactivity in CA and dentate gyrus (DG) cells. Higher H-scores were also observed in the EMF-exposed group following GD 15-21 irradiation. As a result, a 900-MHz EMF application at GD 15-21, which coincides with hippocampal neurogenesis, triggered hippocampal neuron cell death by activating PARP-1 and Caspase-3. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

AI evidence extraction

Main findings

Female offspring from dams exposed to 900-MHz EMF during GD 15–21 showed darkly stained and shrunken pyramidal neurons in the CA region and strong PARP-1 and Caspase-3 immunoreactivity in CA and DG cells, with higher H-scores. Exposure during GD 1–7 showed CA pyramidal neurons appearing normal, and granular cells appeared mostly normal across gestational exposure windows.

Outcomes measured

• Hippocampal neuronal morphology (CA region, dentate gyrus)
• PARP-1 expression/immunoreactivity (H-scores)
• Caspase-3 expression/immunoreactivity (H-scores)

Limitations

• Sample size not reported in abstract
• Exposure metric (e.g., SAR, field strength) not reported in abstract
• Only female offspring assessed; generalizability to males unclear
• Outcomes are histological/immunohistochemical markers; functional neurocognitive outcomes not assessed in abstract

Suggested hubs

• animal-studies (0.9)
  Rat gestational RF-EMF exposure with hippocampal tissue outcomes.

{
    "study_type": "animal",
    "exposure": {
        "band": "RF",
        "source": null,
        "frequency_mhz": 900,
        "sar_wkg": null,
        "duration": "2 h daily during gestation (GD 1–7, GD 8–14, or GD 15–21)"
    },
    "population": "Pregnant rats and female offspring (hippocampus assessed at postnatal day 28)",
    "sample_size": null,
    "outcomes": [
        "Hippocampal neuronal morphology (CA region, dentate gyrus)",
        "PARP-1 expression/immunoreactivity (H-scores)",
        "Caspase-3 expression/immunoreactivity (H-scores)"
    ],
    "main_findings": "Female offspring from dams exposed to 900-MHz EMF during GD 15–21 showed darkly stained and shrunken pyramidal neurons in the CA region and strong PARP-1 and Caspase-3 immunoreactivity in CA and DG cells, with higher H-scores. Exposure during GD 1–7 showed CA pyramidal neurons appearing normal, and granular cells appeared mostly normal across gestational exposure windows.",
    "effect_direction": "harm",
    "limitations": [
        "Sample size not reported in abstract",
        "Exposure metric (e.g., SAR, field strength) not reported in abstract",
        "Only female offspring assessed; generalizability to males unclear",
        "Outcomes are histological/immunohistochemical markers; functional neurocognitive outcomes not assessed in abstract"
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "low",
    "confidence": 0.7399999999999999911182158029987476766109466552734375,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
        "900 MHz",
        "radiofrequency",
        "gestational exposure",
        "hippocampus",
        "PARP-1",
        "caspase-3",
        "apoptosis",
        "neurogenesis",
        "rat"
    ],
    "suggested_hubs": [
        {
            "slug": "animal-studies",
            "weight": 0.90000000000000002220446049250313080847263336181640625,
            "reason": "Rat gestational RF-EMF exposure with hippocampal tissue outcomes."
        }
    ]
}

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