The effect of melatonin on body mass and behaviour of rats during an exposure to microwave radiation from mobile phone.
Sokolovic D, Djordjevic B, Kocic G, Babovic P, Ristic G, Stanojkovic Z, Sokolovic DM, Veljkovic A, Jankovic A, Radovanovic Z · 2012
View Original AbstractMobile phone radiation caused weight loss and anxiety in rats after just 10 days, but melatonin supplementation reversed these effects.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to microwave radiation from mobile phones for 4 hours daily over 20-60 days and found the animals lost significant body weight and developed anxiety-like behaviors including agitation and irritability. When the same rats were given melatonin (a natural hormone and antioxidant), it prevented the weight loss and reduced the stress-related behaviors caused by the radiation exposure.
Why This Matters
This study adds to the growing body of evidence showing that microwave radiation from mobile devices can trigger measurable biological stress responses, even when animals aren't directly handling the devices. The fact that rats developed anxiety-like behaviors after just 10 days of exposure is particularly noteworthy, as it suggests the nervous system responds quickly to this type of radiation. What makes this research especially valuable is the protective effect of melatonin, which points to oxidative stress as a likely mechanism behind these health impacts. The reality is that many of us are exposed to similar microwave radiation for far longer than 4 hours daily when you add up phone calls, WiFi, and other wireless devices. While we can't directly extrapolate from rat studies to humans, this research supports the growing scientific consensus that chronic EMF exposure may contribute to stress-related health problems.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: 4 h/day for 20, 40 and 60 days
Study Details
Microwave radiation (MW) produced by wireless telecommunications and a number of electrical devices used in household or in healthcare institutions may cause various disorders in human organism. On the other hand, melatonin is a potent antioxidant, immunostimulator and neuromodulator. The aim of this research was to determine body mass and behaviour changes in rats after a chronic microwave exposure, as well as to determine the effects of melatonin on body mass and behaviour in irradiated rats.
Wistar rats were divided into the four experimental groups: I group (control) - rats treated with 0,...
A significant body mass reduction was noted in animals exposed to MW radiation when compared to cont...
Microwave radiation causes body mass decrease and anxiety related behaviour in rats, however melatonin causes a reverse of those effects on both body weight and behaviour of irradiated animals
Show BibTeX
@article{d_2012_the_effect_of_melatonin_2608,
author = {Sokolovic D and Djordjevic B and Kocic G and Babovic P and Ristic G and Stanojkovic Z and Sokolovic DM and Veljkovic A and Jankovic A and Radovanovic Z},
title = {The effect of melatonin on body mass and behaviour of rats during an exposure to microwave radiation from mobile phone.},
year = {2012},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22616582/},
}