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. 2011;66(7):1237-45.
doi: 10.1590/s1807-59322011000700020.

The therapeutic effect of a pulsed electromagnetic field on the reproductive patterns of male Wistar rats exposed to a 2.45-GHz microwave field

Sanjay Kumar  1 , Kavindra Kumar Kesari, Jitendra Behari
Affiliations

The therapeutic effect of a pulsed electromagnetic field on the reproductive patterns of male Wistar rats exposed to a 2.45-GHz microwave field

Sanjay Kumar et al. Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2011.

Abstract

Introduction: Environmental exposure to man-made electromagnetic fields has been steadily increasing with the growing demand for electronic items that are operational at various frequencies. Testicular function is particularly susceptible to radiation emitted by electromagnetic fields.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the therapeutic effects of a pulsed electromagnetic field (100 Hz) on the reproductive systems of male Wistar rats (70 days old).

Methods: The experiments were divided into five groups: microwave sham, microwave exposure (2.45 GHz), pulsed electromagnetic field sham, pulsed electromagnetic field (100 Hz) exposure, and microwave/pulsed electromagnetic field exposure. The animals were exposed for 2 hours/day for 60 days. After exposure, the animals were sacrificed, their sperm was used for creatine and caspase assays, and their serum was used for melatonin and testosterone assays.

Results: The results showed significant increases in caspase and creatine kinase and significant decreases in testosterone and melatonin in the exposed groups. This finding emphasizes that reactive oxygen species (a potential inducer of cancer) are the primary cause of DNA damage. However, pulsed electromagnetic field exposure relieves the effect of microwave exposure by inducing Faraday currents.

Conclusions: Electromagnetic fields are recognized as hazards that affect testicular function by generating reactive oxygen species and reduce the bioavailability of androgen to maturing spermatozoa. Thus, microwave exposure adversely affects male fertility, whereas pulsed electromagnetic field therapy is a non-invasive, simple technique that can be used as a scavenger agent to combat oxidative stress.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Assay design for our experimental work.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic layout of the 2.45-GHz exposure device.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Diagram of the mu-metal box with a pulsed electromagnetic field generator at 100 Hz. Four vertical light pipes were mounted within the enclosure (one in each corner port). These acrylic rods are removable. Light was supplied by four LED sources that fit under the lower ports. The four rectangular coils were mounted inside the mu-metal box in a Merritt-like configuration.
Figure 4
Figure 4
A diagram showing the output pattern obtained from a 100-Hz sawtooth wave.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Melatonin production in the various groups (expressed as pg/ml). A representative experiment is presented.
Figure 6
Figure 6
The five columns represent the CK activity distribution in the sperm fractions of the various groups. The results are expressed as IU/108 spermatozoa ± standard deviation. All of the determinations were performed in triplicate.
Figure 7
Figure 7
The responses of the sperm caspase activities to an electromagnetic field. Caspase 3 activity was measured after overnight incubation (expressed as µmol of released pNA per min per ml of sperm lysate). The values are means±SEMs. *, significantly (p<0.05, Fisher's test) different from its respective sham group.
Figure 8
Figure 8
The effect of an electromagnetic field on testosterone production. The bars represent the mean values (±SEMs). The statistical significance between the values of the sham and exposure groups is indicated by an asterisk (p<0.05).
Figure 9
Figure 9
A pathway describing the mechanism of a pulsed electromagnetic field.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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