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Protective effects of melatonin and caffeic acid phenethyl ester against retinal oxidative stress in long-term use of mobile phone: A comparative study.

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Ozguner F, Bardak Y, Comlekci S · 2006

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Mobile phone radiation at 900 MHz caused oxidative damage to rat eye tissue, but antioxidant supplements provided significant protection.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed rats to 900 MHz mobile phone radiation (the same frequency used by many cell phones) for 60 days and found it caused significant oxidative stress in eye tissue. The radiation increased harmful compounds and decreased protective antioxidant enzymes in the retina. However, rats given melatonin or caffeic acid supplements before exposure were largely protected from this damage, suggesting these antioxidants might help shield eye tissue from cell phone radiation effects.

Why This Matters

This study adds important evidence to our understanding of how mobile phone radiation affects delicate eye tissue. The 900 MHz frequency tested is identical to what many GSM cell phones emit, making these findings directly relevant to daily phone use. What's particularly significant is that the oxidative stress occurred in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue crucial for vision. The science demonstrates that cellular phone radiation can penetrate deep enough to affect internal eye structures and disrupt the delicate balance between harmful free radicals and protective antioxidants. While the protective effects of melatonin and caffeic acid are encouraging for future research, the key takeaway is that standard mobile phone frequencies caused measurable biological damage to eye tissue in this controlled study. This research strengthens the case for taking precautionary measures with device use, especially given how close we typically hold phones to our heads and eyes.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 900 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 900 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 900 MHz

Study Details

The present study was carried out to compare the efficacy of the protective effects of melatonin and CAPE against retinal oxidative stress due to long-term exposure to 900 MHz EMR emitting mobile phones.

Melatonin and CAPE were administered daily for 60 days to the rats prior to their EMR exposure durin...

Retinal levels of NO and MDA increased in EMR exposed rats while both melatonin and CAPE caused a si...

In conclusion, melatonin and CAPE reduce retinal oxidative stress after long-term exposure to 900 MHz emitting mobile phone. Nevertheless, there was no statistically significant difference between the efficacies of these two antioxidants against to EMR induced oxidative stress in rat retina. The difference was in only GSH-Px activity in rat retina. Melatonin stimulated the retinal GSH-Px activity more efficiently than CAPE did.

Cite This Study
Ozguner F, Bardak Y, Comlekci S (2006). Protective effects of melatonin and caffeic acid phenethyl ester against retinal oxidative stress in long-term use of mobile phone: A comparative study. Mol Cell Biochem. 282(1-2):83-88, 2006.
Show BibTeX
@article{f_2006_protective_effects_of_melatonin_2498,
  author = {Ozguner F and Bardak Y and Comlekci S},
  title = {Protective effects of melatonin and caffeic acid phenethyl ester against retinal oxidative stress in long-term use of mobile phone: A comparative study.},
  year = {2006},
  doi = {10.1007/s11010-006-1267-0},
  url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11010-006-1267-0},
}
DOI: 10.1007/s11010-006-1267-0

Cited By (147 papers)

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Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, a 2006 study found that 60 days of 900 MHz cell phone radiation exposure caused significant oxidative damage to rat retinal tissue. The radiation increased harmful compounds like nitric oxide and malondialdehyde while decreasing protective antioxidant enzymes in eye tissue.
Yes, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) significantly protected rat retinas from 900 MHz mobile phone radiation damage in a 2006 study. CAPE reduced harmful compounds and restored protective antioxidant enzyme levels that were depleted by 60 days of radiation exposure.
Both melatonin and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) provided nearly equal protection against 900 MHz radiation damage to rat retinas. The only difference was that melatonin more effectively stimulated glutathione peroxidase activity compared to CAPE in eye tissue.
Long-term 900 MHz cell phone radiation exposure significantly decreased three key antioxidant enzymes in rat retinal tissue: superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT). These enzymes normally protect cells from oxidative damage.
900 MHz cell phone radiation increases harmful compounds like nitric oxide and malondialdehyde in retinal tissue while simultaneously decreasing protective antioxidant enzymes. This imbalance creates oxidative stress that can damage eye cells over time, as demonstrated in 60-day rat studies.