Histological, Immunohistochemical and Molecular Alterations in Immature Mice Testes Due to Chronic Exposure to Mobile Phone Radiofrequency Radiation

Nassar, Samir A.; Algazeery, Ahmed; Ahmed, Gamal A. Sayed; Abo El-Maaty, Wafaa A.

doi:10.21608/ejhm.2020.68482

Histological, Immunohistochemical and Molecular Alterations in Immature Mice Testes Due to Chronic Exposure to Mobile Phone Radiofrequency Radiation

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Zoology Dept., Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Egypt

10.21608/ejhm.2020.68482

Abstract

Background: increasing male infertility of obscured etiology may be attributed to environmental stressors. Extensive use of mobile phones has exposed the general population to unprecedented levels of radiofrequency radiations (RFRs) that may be implicated in the affected male reproductive health. Therefore, this study evaluated the possible toxicological effects of perinatal exposure of mice pups to 800 -1800 MHz like radiofrequency radiation (RFR) on the histological, immunohistochemical and molecular aspects of testicular tissue of mice. Materials and Methods: ten pregnant females of Albino mice were selected and used in this research after the recognition of the first gestational day by the appearance of vaginal plug. They were categorized equally into 2 groups; G1: sham-exposed pregnant females, their pups served as the control group. G2: pregnant females exposed to mobile phone radiation for all the gestational period (prenatal exposure) and their pups were subjected to postnatal exposure for 45 consecutive days. Animals were continually exposed to RFR emitted by talk mode for 0.5 hour / day from a mobile test phone. Results: mobile phone radiation affected the testicular structure and function via the degeneration of germ cells and Leydig cells. Moreover, it caused apoptosis of testicular cells as indicated by up regulation of caspase-3 and induced down regulation of PCNA at the immunohistochemical level confirmed by DNA damage at the molecular level. This onset may lead to infertility like condition due to RFR- exposure. Conclusion: RFR at the studied frequency caused significant histological, immunohistochemical and molecular changes in the examined tissues. The results of this study and other similar studies, when extrapolated to man, they must alert the scientific community to the possibility that RFR may have long-term deleterious effects on the reproductive health.

Keywords