Abstract
The expansion of mobile phone use has raised questions regarding the possible biological effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure on oxidative stress and brain inflammation. Despite accumulative exposure of humans to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) from mobile phones, their long-term effects on oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in the aging brain have not been studied. In the present study, middle-aged C57BL/6 mice (aged 14 months) were exposed to 1950 MHz electromagnetic fields for 8 months (specific absorption rate (SAR) 5 W/kg, 2 h/day, 5 d/week). Compared with those in the young group, levels of protein (3-nitro-tyrosine) and lipid (4-hydroxy-2-nonenal) oxidative damage markers were significantly increased in the brains of aged mice. In addition, levels of markers for DNA damage (8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine, p53, p21, γH2AX, and Bax), apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1)), astrocyte (GFAP), and microglia (Iba-1) were significantly elevated in the brains of aged mice. However, long-term RF-EMF exposure did not change the levels of oxidative stress, DNA damage, apoptosis, astrocyte, or microglia markers in the aged mouse brains. Moreover, long-term RF-EMF exposure did not alter locomotor activity in aged mice. Therefore, these findings indicate that long-term exposure to RF-EMF did not influence age-induced oxidative stress or neuroinflammation in C57BL/6 mice.
Highlights
As people are continuously exposed to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) from mobile phone use in everyday life, which has increased over the last 10 years, cumulative exposure is increasing
Consistent with the immunohistochemistry results, western blot analysis showed that the RF-EMF did not alter the expression of the two oxidative markers compared with their levels in the sham-exposed group (Figure 1B), suggesting that RF-EMF does not alter age-induced oxidative damage in the mouse brain
Public concern has been raised regarding the possible health risks of RF-EMFs emitted from mobile phones and Wi-Fi devices, since the use of such devices has increased exponentially in daily life
Summary
As people are continuously exposed to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) from mobile phone use in everyday life, which has increased over the last 10 years, cumulative exposure is increasing. Considering the proximity of mobile phones to the head, public concern regarding possible harm to the brain has been raised. Many neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, are recognized to share atypical inflammatory reactions as a major pathological feature [1]. Neuroinflammation can be both a cause and a consequence of chronic oxidative stress. Since free radicals are essential for brain physiological processes and pathological degeneration, RF-EMFs may contribute to the etiology of neurodegenerative disorders
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