Effect of the prenatal electromagnetic field exposure on cochlear nucleus neurons and oligodendrocytes in rats

Abstract

Effect of the prenatal electromagnetic field exposure on cochlear nucleus neurons and oligodendrocytes in rats Levent Tümkaya, Orhan Bas, Tolga Mercantepe, Seda Cınar, Abdulkadir Özgür, Zihni Acar Yazici. Effect of the prenatal electromagnetic field exposure on cochlear nucleus neurons and oligodendrocytes in rats. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2022 Feb 3. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-18325-1. Abstract Electromagnetic radiation from elecromagnetic field (EMF) sources has been an important health concern for a long time. The vast majority of this exposure is due to the widespread use of mobile phones, an important source of the EMF. The EMF generated by mobile phones may have adverse effects on the various biological structures that regulate the body system and function. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate histopathologically the effects of 900-megahertz (MHz) EMF application in the prenatal period on the development of the ventral cochlear nucleus, which is the first place of hearing in the brainstem, at various time points of the postnatal period in rats. In the study, Sprague-Dawley pregnant rats were divided randomly into two groups as the control group and the EMF group. The rats in the EMF group were exposed to a 900-MHz EMF every day until birth, while no EMF was applied to the rats in the control group. Auditory brainstem responses of both groups were recorded on the postnatal 13th day, the day the hearing starts. Newborn rats were sacrificed by anesthesia on days 7, 10, 15, and 30. Contrary to the control group, structural damage in cochlear nuclear neurons and oligodendrocyte cell structures and increased caspase-3 activity were observed in the postnatal period in the EMF groups. However, no significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of structural damage and caspase-3 activity at different stages of the postnatal period when cochlear nucleus development was observed. According to ABS, there was no significant difference between the average latency of waves in both groups. In conclusion, this study shows that 900-MHz electromagnetic waves propagated from mobile phones during the prenatal period have no harmful effects on the development of the ventral cochlear nucleus of rats. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

AI evidence extraction

Main findings

Compared with controls, the EMF-exposed group showed structural damage in cochlear nucleus neurons and oligodendrocytes and increased caspase-3 activity in the postnatal period. ABR wave latencies did not differ significantly between groups, and the authors conclude prenatal 900-MHz exposure had no harmful effects on ventral cochlear nucleus development.

Outcomes measured

• Histopathological changes in ventral cochlear nucleus neurons
• Oligodendrocyte structural changes
• Caspase-3 activity
• Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) latency (waves)

Limitations

• Sample size not reported in abstract
• Exposure metrics beyond frequency (e.g., SAR, field strength) not reported in abstract
• Details of randomization/blinding and histopathology scoring not described in abstract
• Findings include observed structural damage and increased caspase-3 despite concluding no harmful developmental effect

Suggested hubs

• rf-emf-mobile-phones (0.9)
  Prenatal exposure to 900-MHz EMF described as propagated from mobile phones.

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    "exposure": {
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        "source": "mobile phone",
        "frequency_mhz": 900,
        "sar_wkg": null,
        "duration": "Daily prenatal exposure until birth"
    },
    "population": "Sprague-Dawley pregnant rats and offspring (postnatal assessments)",
    "sample_size": null,
    "outcomes": [
        "Histopathological changes in ventral cochlear nucleus neurons",
        "Oligodendrocyte structural changes",
        "Caspase-3 activity",
        "Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) latency (waves)"
    ],
    "main_findings": "Compared with controls, the EMF-exposed group showed structural damage in cochlear nucleus neurons and oligodendrocytes and increased caspase-3 activity in the postnatal period. ABR wave latencies did not differ significantly between groups, and the authors conclude prenatal 900-MHz exposure had no harmful effects on ventral cochlear nucleus development.",
    "effect_direction": "mixed",
    "limitations": [
        "Sample size not reported in abstract",
        "Exposure metrics beyond frequency (e.g., SAR, field strength) not reported in abstract",
        "Details of randomization/blinding and histopathology scoring not described in abstract",
        "Findings include observed structural damage and increased caspase-3 despite concluding no harmful developmental effect"
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "low",
    "confidence": 0.7399999999999999911182158029987476766109466552734375,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
        "prenatal exposure",
        "900 MHz",
        "RF-EMF",
        "mobile phone",
        "ventral cochlear nucleus",
        "rats",
        "oligodendrocytes",
        "caspase-3",
        "auditory brainstem response",
        "histopathology"
    ],
    "suggested_hubs": [
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            "reason": "Prenatal exposure to 900-MHz EMF described as propagated from mobile phones."
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