Alterations of thymic morphology and antioxidant biomarkers in 60-day-old male rats following exposure to a continuous 900 MHz electromagnetic field during adolescence

Abstract

We investigated changes in thymic tissue of male rats exposed to a 900 megahertz (MHz) electromagnetic field (EMF) on postnatal days 22–59. Three groups of six 21-day-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated as: control (CG), sham (SG) and EMF (EMFG) groups. No procedure was performed on the CG rats. SG rats were placed in a Plexiglas cage for 1 h every day between postnatal days 22 and 59 without exposure to EMF. EMFG rats were placed in the same cage for the same periods as the SG rats and were exposed to 900 MHz EMF. Rats were sacrificed on postnatal day 60. Sections of thymus were stained for histological assessment. Oxidant/antioxidant parameters were investigated biochemically. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in EMFG increased compared to the other groups. Extravascular erythrocytes were observed in the medullary/corticomedullary regions in EMFG sections. We found that 900 MHz EMF applied for 1 h/day on postnatal days 22–59 can increase tissue MDA and histopathological changes in male rat thymic tissue.

Key words:

• adolescence
• cell phone
• electromagnetic field
• rats
• thymus

Acknowledgment

This study was presented as an oral presentation at the 6th World Congress of Oxidative Stress, Calcium Signaling and TRP Channels, 24–27 May, 2016, Isparta, Turkey.

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