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Exposure of rat brain to 915 MHz GSM microwaves induces changes in gene expression but not double stranded DNA breaks or effects on chromatin conformation.

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Belyaev IY, Koch CB, Terenius O, Roxstrom-Lindquist K, Malmgren LO, H Sommer W, Salford LG, Persson BR · 2006

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Exposure of rat brains to 915 MHz GSM microwaves changed gene expression in the cerebellum but did not cause DNA double strand breaks or alter chromatin conformation.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed rats to 915 MHz GSM microwaves for 2 hours at a SAR of 0.4 mW/g and then examined brain cells for DNA damage and gene expression changes. In the cerebellum, 11 genes were upregulated in a range of 1.34 to 2.74 fold and one gene was downregulated 0.48-fold (P < .0025). The exposure did not induce detectable DNA double strand breaks or changes in chromatin conformation.

Why This Matters

The study used a test mobile phone signal at 915 MHz with all standard GSM modulations included to expose rats for 2 hours, with sham-exposed animals as a comparison group. DNA double strand breaks were assessed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and chromatin conformation was measured by the method of anomalous viscosity time dependencies. Effects of MW exposure were observed on neither conformation of chromatin nor DNA DSBs. Gene expression was analyzed using Affymetrix U34 GeneChips representing 8800 rat genes. The genes whose expression changed encode proteins with functions including neurotransmitter regulation, blood-brain barrier function, and melatonin production.

Exposure Details

SAR
0.4 W/kg
Source/Device
915 MHz GSM mobile phone
Exposure Duration
2h

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.4 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 4 times higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 915 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 915 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

We investigated whether exposure of rat brain to microwaves (MWs) of global system for mobile communication (GSM) induces DNA breaks, changes in chromatin conformation and in gene expression.

An exposure installation was used based on a test mobile phone employing a GSM signal at 915 MHz, al...

In cerebellum from all exposed animals, 11 genes were upregulated in a range of 1.34–2.74 fold and o...

The data shows that GSM MWs at 915 MHz did not induce PFGE‐detectable DNA double stranded breaks or changes in chromatin conformation, but affected expression of genes in rat brain cells.

Cite This Study
Belyaev IY, Koch CB, Terenius O, Roxstrom-Lindquist K, Malmgren LO, H Sommer W, Salford LG, Persson BR (2006). Exposure of rat brain to 915 MHz GSM microwaves induces changes in gene expression but not double stranded DNA breaks or effects on chromatin conformation. Bioelectromagnetics. 27:295-306, 2006.
Show BibTeX
@article{iy_2006_exposure_of_rat_brain_30,
  author = {Belyaev IY and Koch CB and Terenius O and Roxstrom-Lindquist K and Malmgren LO and H Sommer W and Salford LG and Persson BR},
  title = {Exposure of rat brain to 915 MHz GSM microwaves induces changes in gene expression but not double stranded DNA breaks or effects on chromatin conformation.},
  year = {2006},
  doi = {10.1002/bem.20216},
  url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bem.20216/abstract},
}
DOI: 10.1002/bem.20216

Cited By (152 papers)

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Quick Questions About This Study

The exposure did not induce detectable DNA double strand breaks or changes in chromatin conformation.
Gene expression profiles were obtained by Affymetrix U34 GeneChips representing 8800 rat genes and analyzed with the Affymetrix Microarray Suite (MAS) 5.0 software.
The induced genes encode proteins involved in neurotransmitter regulation, blood-brain barrier function, and melatonin production.
Rats were exposed to a GSM signal at 915 MHz for 2 hours at a SAR of 0.4 mW/g.
In the cerebellum, 11 genes were upregulated in a range of 1.34 to 2.74 fold (P < .0025).