Effects of ultra high frequency-electromagnetic field irradiation during pregnancy on genetic damage and oxidative parameters in rat offspring
Ferreira A.R. a; Knakievicz T.b;Pasquali M.A.B.a; Bonatto F. a;Gelain D.P.a; Dal-Pizzol F.c; Fernández C.E.R.d; Salles A.A.A.e; Ferreira H.B.b; Moreira J. C. F. a
aCentro de Estudos em Estresse Oxidativo, Departamento de Bioquímica, UFRGS, RS, Brasil;bDepartamento de Biologia Molecular e Biotecnologia, UFRGS, RS, Brasil;c Laboratório de Fisiopatologia Experimental, UNESC, SC, Brasil;dGrupo de Estudos em Eletromagnetismo Teórico e Aplicado, Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica do Rio Grande do Sul, RS, Brasil
eLaboratório de Comunicações Eletro-Ópticas, Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica, Escola de Engenharia, UFRGS, RS, Brasil
Introduction: Mobile telephones and their base stations are importants ultra high frequency-electromagnetic fields (UHF-EMFs) source and their utilization is increasing all over the world. Epidemiological studies have suggested that low energy UHF-EMF emitted from a cellular telephone may cause biological effects, such as oxidative damage to biomolecules. Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the occurrence of genetic damage in erythrocytes from rat offspring exposed to a non-thermal UHF-EMF from a cellular phone during their embryogenesis and alterations on oxidative parameters in peripheral blood and liver. Methods: Pregnant rats were placed into experimental cages with cellular phone as UHF-EMF source. The irradiation occurred since pregnancy start until offspring birth during 8 h 30 min/day. Plasma and liver samples were collected after decapitation. The micronuclei (MN) assay was used as an in vivo mammalian cytogenetic test. We measured the activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, gluthathione peroxidase. We also quantified sulfhydryl groups, total non-enzymatic antioxidant defense, protein carbonyl groups and thiobarbituric acid-reactive species. Results: The irradiated group showed a significant increase in MN occurrence. No significant differences were found in oxidative parameter in both blood and liver. The average number of pups in each litter has also not been significantly altered. Conclusion: Our results suggest that, under our experimental conditions, UHF-EMF is able to induce a genotoxic response in hematopoietic tissue during the embryogenesis .
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