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. 2014 Jan 27:3:76.
doi: 10.4103/2277-9175.125874. eCollection 2014.

Effect of low-frequency electromagnetic field exposure on oocyte differentiation and follicular development

L Roshangar  1 , B A Hamdi  2 , A A Khaki  2 , J Soleimani Rad  1 , S Soleimani-Rad  3
Affiliations

Effect of low-frequency electromagnetic field exposure on oocyte differentiation and follicular development

L Roshangar et al. Adv Biomed Res. .

Abstract

Background: The effect of electromagnetic field (EMF) as an environmental factor on different organs including female reproductive system is of critical concern. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of low-frequency (LF)-EMF on oocyte differentiation and follicular development.

Materials and methods: The experiment was carried out in animal lab of Faculty of Medicine Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. For this purpose, the BALB/c mice were divided into control and experimental group in animal lab. The pregnant mice in the experimental group were exposed to 3 mT EMF field, 4 h/day during the pregnancy period. The LF-EMF was produced by a system using 50 Hz alternative current, in the control group the pregnant mice were kept in a similar condition without exposure to EMF. The neonatal mice from both groups were sacrificed immediately after birth and their ovary was dissected apart and prepared for light and electron microscopy.

Result: Microscopy revealed that in the experimental group, in comparison to control group, oocyte nests were mostly broken and irregularly arranged. The primordial follicles were less developed and nuclei of oocytes with an electron microscope appeared heterochromatic, shrunken and had vacuolated cytoplasm.

Conclusion: It is concluded that exposure to EMF during the developmental period could affect both oocyte differentiation and folliculogenesis and may result in reduced fertility, by decreasing ovarian reservoir.

Keywords: Atresia follicle; electromagnetic field; folliculogenesis; mice; neonatal.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Light microscopic micrograph from ovary of 2-day-old neonatal mouse control group. Note differentiating oocyte nest, primordial follicle, follicular nests and oocyte clusters (H and E, ×780)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Light microscopic micrograph from neonatal female mouse exposed to electromagnetic field. Note scattered oocyte (arrow), binucleated oocytes (double arrow) and rapture in arrangement of pregranulosa cell (H and E, ×780)
Figure 3
Figure 3
An electron micrograph of developing follicle from a control neonatal mouse ovary. Note oocyte, nucleous (n), nucleolus (n), surrounded by pre-granulosa cell (g), ×2704
Figure 4
Figure 4
An electron micrograph from exposed neonatal female mouse to (electromagnetic field). Note oocyte (o), irregular nucleus membrane with shrunken nuclei (n), multinuclouses with deferent size of heterochromatin (n), vacuolated cytoplasm (v), ×2704
Figure 5
Figure 5
Light microscopic micrograph from exposed adulthood ovaries to electromagnetic field. (a) Rupturing and thinning in zona pellucid (*) and separation granulosa layer (g), vacuolization (v), rupturing of nuclei of the oocyte (n) H and E, ×780. (b) Antral atresia of follicles, location of gronulosa cells (g) and examples of dying cells (arrow heads) lead in the antrum follicle fluid and irregular shape of nucleous (n) H and E, ×780
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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