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.
Belyaev IY, Koch CB, Terenius O, Roxstrom-Lindquist K, Malmgren LO, H Sommer W, Salford LG, Persson BR. · 2006
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation altered brain gene expression in just 2 hours at exposure levels considered safe by current standards.
Plain English Summary
Scientists exposed rats to cell phone radiation at 915 MHz for 2 hours and found it changed gene activity in the brain without causing DNA breaks. The radiation altered the expression of 12 genes involved in brain functions like neurotransmitter regulation, the blood-brain barrier, and melatonin production. This suggests that even brief cell phone exposure can trigger biological changes in brain cells, even when DNA damage isn't detectable.
Why This Matters
This study reveals something crucial that the wireless industry doesn't want you to know: your brain responds to cell phone radiation even when there's no obvious DNA damage. The researchers found that just 2 hours of exposure at 0.4 mW/g SAR (well below current safety limits) was enough to alter gene expression in rat brains. What makes this particularly significant is that the affected genes control critical brain functions including the blood-brain barrier, which protects your brain from toxins, and melatonin production, which regulates your sleep cycle. The science demonstrates that biological effects occur at exposure levels far below what regulators consider 'safe.' You don't have to wait for DNA breaks to be concerned about what cell phone radiation is doing to your brain.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.4 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 915 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 hours
Where This Falls on the Concern 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.
Show BibTeX
@article{iy_2006_exposure_of_rat_brain_855,
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},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16511873/},
}