Effects of acute and chronic exposure to both 900 MHz and 2100 MHz electromagnetic radiation on glutamate receptor signaling pathway

Abstract

Purpose: To demonstrate the molecular effects of acute and chronic exposure to both 900 and 2100 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) on the hippocampal level/activity of some of the enzymes – including PKA, CaMKIIα, CREB, and p44/42 MAPK – from N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-related signaling pathways.

Materials and methods: Rats were divided into the following groups: sham rats, and rats exposed to 900 and 2100 MHz RF-EMR for 2 h/day for acute (1 week) or chronic (10 weeks), respectively. Western blotting and activity measurement assays were used to assess the level/activity of the selected enzymes.

Results: The obtained results revealed that the hippocampal level/activity of selected enzymes was significantly higher in the chronic groups as compared to the acute groups at both 900 and 2100 MHz RF-EMR exposure. In addition, hippocampal level/activity of selected enzymes was significantly higher at 2100 MHz RF-EMR than 900 MHz RF-EMR in both acute and chronic groups.

Conclusions: The present study provides experimental evidence that both exposure duration (1 week versus 10 weeks) and different carrier frequencies (900 vs. 2100 MHz) had different effects on the protein expression of hippocampus in Wistar rats, which might encourage further research on protection against RF-EMR exposure.

Keywords:

• RF-EMR
• CaMKIIα
• PKA
• CREB
• p44/42 MAPK

Acknowledgements

We gratefully thank Ö. Koçak and P.A. Çiriş for English editing and G. Başaranlar for helping during brain dissection.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Çiğdem Gökçek-Saraç received her Ph.D. degree from Middle East Technical University (METU), Turkey, in 2012. She is an Assistant Professor at Department of Biomedical Engineering, Akdeniz University. Her main research interests are in the area of neuroscience including molecular effects of electromagnetic radiation on brain functions, cognition and behaviour.

Hakan Er is a Ph.D. student at Department of Biophysics in Medical Faculty of Akdeniz University, Turkey. His research interests include biological effects of electromagnetic fields, neurodegenerative diseases, electrophysiology, behavioural and cognitive neuroscience and electron microscopy.

Ceren Kencebay Manas received her Ph.D. degree from Akdeniz University, Turkey, in 2017. She is a postdoctoral researcher at Department of Biophysics, Akdeniz University. Her research interests include biological effects of electromagnetic fields, mechanism of sulphide toxicity in brain, electrophysiology, learning and memory.

Deniz Kantar Gok received her Ph.D. degree from Akdeniz University, Turkey, in 2016. She is a postdoctoral researcher at Department of Biophysics, Akdeniz University. Her research interests include biological effects of electromagnetic fields, neurodegenerative disease, electrophysiology, behavioural and cognitive neuroscience.

Şükrü Özen received his Ph.D. degree from Sakarya University, Turkey, in 2003. He is a Professor at Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Akdeniz University. His research interests include biological effects of electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic compatibility, wave propagations, numerical methods, applied electromagnetic and biomedical engineering problems.

Narin Derin received her specialist doctor degree from Akdeniz University, Faculty of Medicine, Antalya, 2001. She is a Professor at Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University. Her research areas include biological effects of electromagnetic fields, mechanisms of sulphide toxicity in rat brain, evoked potentials, learning and memory.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by a grant from Akdeniz University The Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit, Turkey (Project Number: FBA-2015-38).