Effect of 950 MHz UHF electromagnetic radiation on biomarkers of oxidative damage, metabolism of UFA and antioxidants in the livers of young rats of different ages

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the effect of 950 MHz ultra-high-frequency electromagnetic radiation (UHF EMR) on biomarkers of oxidative damage, as well as to verify the concentration of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) and the expression of the catalase in the livers of rats of different ages.

Materials and methods: Twelve rats were equally divided into two groups as controls (CR) and exposed (ER), for each age (0, 6, 15 and 30 days). Radiation exposure lasted half an hour per day for up to 51 days (21 days of gestation and 6, 15 or 30 days of life outside the womb). The specific absorption rate (SAR) ranged from 1.3–1.0 W/kg. The damage to lipids, proteins and DNA was verified by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), protein carbonyls and comets, respectively. UFA were determined by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector. The expression of catalase was by Western blotting.

Results: The neonates had low levels of TBARS and concentrations of UFA after exposure. There was no age difference in the accumulation of protein carbonyls for any age. The DNA damage of ER 15 or 30 days was different. The exposed neonates exhibited lower expression of catalase.

Conclusions: 950 MHz UHF EMR does not cause oxidative stress (OS), and it is not genotoxic to the livers of neonates or those of 6 and 15 day old rats, but it changes the concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in neonates. For rats of 30 days, no OS, but it is genotoxic to the livers of ER to total body irradiation.

Keywords::

• Electromagnetic radiation (EMR)
• oxidative damage
• antioxidant
• aging
• polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank Amâncio Romanelli Ferreira for providing the aluminum Faraday cage, Fernando Sperb Melecchi and Álvaro Augusto Almeida de Salles for lending the signal generator and the vertical polarization antenna, Cláudio Fernandez for shared knowledge in the field of electromagnetism, Marcelo Hermes Lima (Brasília University - UnB) for donating the reagents for assays of TBARS and protein carbonyl, the Brazilian Army for releasing Captain Orlando Vieira Furtado Filho from some of his duties during the course of this study and Brazilian Army Lieutenant Ana Rita de Ávila Belbute Peres for reviewing this paper.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

The authors would like to thank CNPq (Grant number 308065/2010-7), FAPERGS (Grant number 10/0044-3) and FINEP (Grant number 04.11.0174.00) and PPGBCM UFRGS for financial support.