Effects of 5G radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation on indicators of vitality and DNA integrity of in vitro exposed boar semen

PAPER manual Theriogenology 2024 In vitro study Effect: harm Evidence: Moderate

Read original paper → DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2024.09.025 PMID: 39342826 Evidence Lab

Abstract

Effects of 5G radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation on indicators of vitality and DNA integrity of in vitro exposed boar semen Butković I, Vince S, Lojkić M, Folnožić I, Tur SM, Vilić M, Malarić K, Berta V, Samardžija M, Kreszinger M, Žaja IŽ. Effects of 5G radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation on indicators of vitality and DNA integrity of in vitro exposed boar semen. Theriogenology. 2024 Sep 25;230:243-249. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2024.09.025. Abstract The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) on semen quality have been in the spotlight in recent years, though research results to date have been contradictory. The effects of RF- EMR amongst others depend upon frequency, and there is currently no literature concerning the influence of 5G frequencies on both DNA integrity and spermatozoa vitality in males. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 5G RF-EMR on sperm membrane integrity, mitochondrial potential, and DNA integrity of in vitro exposed semen of breeding boars. The study included semen samples of eight breeding boars of the Pietren breed and four breeding boars of the German Landrace breed, from 1.5 to 3.5 years in age. Freshly diluted semen of each boar was divided into a control (n = 12) and experimental group (n = 12). The samples of the experimental group were exposed for 2 hours to continuous RF-EMR at a single frequency (700 MHz, 2500 MHz and 3500 MHz) and an electromagnetic field strength of 10 V/m using a transverse gigahertz electromagnetic cell. Sperm DNA fragmentation was assessed using a Halomax® kit and sperm membrane integrity and mitochondrial potential was assessed using a PI⁄SYBR-14 LIVE⁄DEAD viability kit with JC-1. A significantly higher proportion of spermatozoa with DNA fragmentation was found in exposed semen samples for all frequencies compared to the control group. The highest DNA damage was recorded in semen samples exposed to 5G RF-EMR at 2500 MHz (p < 0.01) and 3500 MHz (p < 0.05) vs. control semen samples. A significantly higher proportion of spermatozoa with damaged cell membrane and good mitochondrial potential was recorded in semen samples exposed with 3500 MHz. In vitro exposure of breading boar semen to 5G RF-EMR significantly increases the proportion of DNA fragmentation. The harmful effect of 5G RF-EMR on the proportion of spermatozoa with damaged DNA was frequency dependent. The 3500 MHz frequency displayed the most harmful effects due to significant impacts on DNA integrity and spermatozoa vitality indicators. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

AI evidence extraction

At a glance

Study type

In vitro study

Effect direction

harm

Population

boar semen from Pietren and German Landrace breeds

Sample size

Exposure

5G RF-EMR · 2 hours continuous exposure at 700 MHz, 2500 MHz, and 3500 MHz

Evidence strength

Moderate

Confidence: 70% · Peer-reviewed: yes

Main findings

In vitro exposure of boar semen to 5G RF-EMR at 700, 2500, and 3500 MHz significantly increased sperm DNA fragmentation compared to controls, with the highest damage at 2500 and 3500 MHz. Exposure at 3500 MHz also significantly increased sperm membrane damage and mitochondrial potential changes.

Outcomes measured

sperm DNA fragmentation
sperm membrane integrity
mitochondrial potential

Limitations

In vitro study, may not directly translate to in vivo effects
Small sample size with only two breeds of boars
Exposure conditions may not fully replicate real-world 5G exposure scenarios

Suggested hubs

5g-policy (0.8)
Study investigates biological effects of 5G frequency RF-EMR exposure.

View raw extracted JSON

{
    "study_type": "in_vitro",
    "exposure": {
        "band": "5G RF-EMR",
        "source": null,
        "frequency_mhz": null,
        "sar_wkg": null,
        "duration": "2 hours continuous exposure at 700 MHz, 2500 MHz, and 3500 MHz"
    },
    "population": "boar semen from Pietren and German Landrace breeds",
    "sample_size": 24,
    "outcomes": [
        "sperm DNA fragmentation",
        "sperm membrane integrity",
        "mitochondrial potential"
    ],
    "main_findings": "In vitro exposure of boar semen to 5G RF-EMR at 700, 2500, and 3500 MHz significantly increased sperm DNA fragmentation compared to controls, with the highest damage at 2500 and 3500 MHz. Exposure at 3500 MHz also significantly increased sperm membrane damage and mitochondrial potential changes.",
    "effect_direction": "harm",
    "limitations": [
        "In vitro study, may not directly translate to in vivo effects",
        "Small sample size with only two breeds of boars",
        "Exposure conditions may not fully replicate real-world 5G exposure scenarios"
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "moderate",
    "confidence": 0.6999999999999999555910790149937383830547332763671875,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
        "5G",
        "radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation",
        "DNA fragmentation",
        "sperm vitality",
        "boar semen",
        "in vitro"
    ],
    "suggested_hubs": [
        {
            "slug": "5g-policy",
            "weight": 0.8000000000000000444089209850062616169452667236328125,
            "reason": "Study investigates biological effects of 5G frequency RF-EMR exposure."
        }
    ]
}

AI can be wrong. Always verify against the paper.

AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract/metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.

Comments

No comments yet.