Abstract
ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of a 28-day exposure to a 50 Hz electromagnetic field of 10 kV/m on the oxidative stress in selected rat central nervous system (CNS) structures. Material and Methods Twenty male Wistar rats served as experimental subjects. Ten rats were exposed to an electromagnetic field with a frequency of 50 Hz, intensity of 10 kV/m, and magnetic induction of 4.3 pT for 22 hours a day. The control group of ten rats was subject to sham exposure. Homogenates of the frontal cortex, hippocampus, brainstem, hypothalamus, striatum, and cerebellum were evaluated for selected parameters of oxidative stress. Results Following the four-week exposure to a low-frequency electromagnetic field, the mean malondialdehyde levels and total oxidant status of CNS structures did not differ significantly between the experimental and control groups. However, the activities of antioxidant enzymes in brain structure homogenates were decreased except for frontal cortex catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and hippocampal glutathione reductase. The low-frequency electromagnetic field had no effect on the nonenzymatic antioxidant system of the examined brain structures except for the frontal cortex. Conclusion The four-week exposure of male rats to a low-frequency electromagnetic field did not affect oxidative stress in the investigated brain structures.
Highlights
An electromagnetic field (EMF) occurs naturally in our environment
In the frontal cortex homogenates from rats exposed to the low-frequency electromagnetic field (LFEMF), the mean activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), SOD-Mn, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and total oxidant status (TOS) were significantly lower, while the mean CAT activity was higher compared to the control rats
The mean concentrations of MDA and TOS as well as the mean activities of SOD-CuZn and glutathione reductase (GR) in rats exposed to the LFEMF did not differ significantly in comparison to the control group (Table 1)
Summary
An electromagnetic field (EMF) occurs naturally in our environment. It is generated by geological structures in the Earth’s crust, and all devices powered with alternating currents. Multihour use of such devices, including medical apparatus, results in a prolonged exposure to a low-frequency EMF (≤50 Hz). This may lead to disturbances in homeostasis and consequent disruption of the prooxidative-antioxidative balance within the central nervous system (CNS) of people permanently working in close proximity to devices generating electromagnetic fields [1].
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