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Biological effects of prolonged exposure to ELF electromagnetic fields in rats: III. 50 Hz electromagnetic fields
Author(s) -
Zecca L.,
Mantegazza C.,
Margonato V.,
Cerretelli P.,
Caniatti M.,
Piva F.,
Dondi D.,
Hagino N.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
bioelectromagnetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.435
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-186X
pISSN - 0197-8462
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1521-186x(1998)19:1<57::aid-bem7>3.0.co;2-3
Subject(s) - histology , bone marrow , medicine , hippocampus , pathology , cortex (anatomy) , endocrinology , biology , neuroscience
Groups of adult male Sprague Dawley rats (64 rats each) were exposed for 8 months to electromagnetic fields (EMF) of two different field strength combinations: 5μT ‐ 1kV/m and 100μT ‐ 5kV/m. A third group was sham exposed. Field exposure was 8 hrs/day for 5 days/week. Blood samples were collected for hematology determinations before the onset of exposure and at 12 week intervals. At sacrifice, liver, heart, mesenteric lymph nodes, bone marrow, and testes were collected for morphology and histology assessments, while the pineal gland and brain were collected for biochemical determinations. At both field strength combinations, no pathological changes were observed in animal growth rate, in morphology and histology of the collected tissue specimens (liver, heart, mesenteric lymph nodes, testes, bone marrow), and in serum chemistry. An increase in norepinephrine levels occurred in the pineal gland of rats exposed to the higher field strength. The major changes in the brain involved the opioid system in frontal cortex, parietal cortex, and hippocampus. From the present findings it may be hypothesized that EMF may cause alteration of some brain functions. Bioelectromagnetics 19:57–66, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.