Impact of electromagnetic field generated by mobile phone on prooxidant-antioxidant balance in selected internal organs of rats

In the study the impact of whole-body exposure to electromagnetic field with a frequency of 900MHz generated by mobile phone on prooxidant/antioxidant balance in selected internal organs of male rats was estimated, by means of analysis of the contents of markers of membrane lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress: malone dialdehyde (MDA) and total oxidant capacity (TOC), respectively, as well as the activity of antioxidant enzymes: superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione S-transferase (GST), in homogenates of kidney, heart and lung. The experiment was performed on 20 male Wistar rats, in mean age of 10 weeks, divided into 2 equal groups (consisting of 10 animals), subjected to long-term exposure to electromagnetic field or to sham-exposure, respectively. Rats from examined group were exposed for 28 succeeding days to electromagnetic field with frequency of 900 MHz generated by mobile phone Nokia 5110, that was turned on every 1/2 hour by 8 hours daily and emitted signal for 15s. The mean value of power density of the electromagnetic field registered during initializing of connection was 85.3 μW/m², and during lasting connection was 17.0 μW/m². Rats from control group were exposed for 28 succeeding days to sham-exposure, during which they stayed in identical as examined animals environmental conditions, excluding the influence of electromagnetic field. During the exposure the mobile phone was placed under a cage with animals. After the end of a cycle of 28 daily exposures to electromagnetic field or sham-exposures (control rats), animals were starved by 24 hours, then anaesthetized and next the abdominal cavity was opened and samples of kidney, heart and lung were taken. In the homogenates prepared from the obtained samples the contents of TOC and MDA, as well as the activity of SOD, CAT, GPx, GR and GST were measured. The biochemical analyses were performed by means of routine spectrophotometric and kinetic methods. As a result of repeated exposures, in electromagnetic field-exposed group of rats, in kidney tissue homogenates a significant increase in the contents of TOC, as well as a significant decrease in the activity of GR and GST was observed, in heart tissue homogenates a significant decrease in the contents of MDA and in the activity of SOD, CAT, GR and GST was found, while in lung tissue homogenates a significant increase in the contents of TOC and in the activity of GR, as well as a significant decrease in the activity of SOD and CAT was confirmed, as compared to control sham-exposed rats. On the basis of the obtained results it was found, that 4-week lasting exposure of rats to electromagnetic field with physical parameters generated by mobile phone working in a frequency range of 900 MHz, causes a slight intensification of oxidant processes in the tissue of examined internal organs with accompanying compensatory, multidirectional changes of antioxidant enzymes activity, enabling the maintenance of prooxidant/antioxidant balance only in heart tissue.