Comparison of the effect of changing the spatial distance with exposure time to mobile phones radiation on the structure and function of the testis in NMRI mice

Abstract

The present study was conducted to compare the effect of changing the spatial distance and time radio frequency (RF) radiation from mobile phone in standby mode on the structure and function of testicles. NMRI mice were randomly divided into three groups. The first group was the control and the second group (exposed group) was divided into four subgroups: groups A (A1 and A2) and groups B (B1 and B2), which were placed in plastic holder units at two distances of 5 cm and 20 cm from RF radiation, respectively. A1 and B1, and A2 and B2 were exposed to RF radiation for six and 10 weeks, respectively. The exposure duration was 5 days/week, 6 hours/day. The third group with two subgroups (sham1 and sham2) were kept in plastic holder units without being exposed to radiation and were evaluated after six and 10 weeks, respectively. The changes in the external diameters of seminiferous tubules and the height of germinal epithelium obviously depended more on the distance from the radiation source than on the exposure time. The decrease in the diameter of the testicles and sperm motility were found to be time-dependent. These effects had a clear but unpredictable dependence on the two variables of distance and RF radiation time.

Keywords:

• Electromagnetic radiation
• radio frequency
• mobile phone
• testis tissue
• sperm motility

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the financial support of the Research Council of Arak University of Medical Sciences. This work was accomplished in partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of medical degree (MD) Mahbobeh Gafori Ghadarijani in School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran (Grant no.: 4058, the ethic committee no.: 92-156-6).

Data availability

The data that support this study will be shared upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.

Disclosure statement

There was no conflict of interest in this paper.