6,486 Studies Reviewed. 85.2% of Original Studies Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.
Shield Your Body

Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.

Brain & Nervous System

Expression of the water channel protein, aquaporin-4, in mouse brains exposed to mobile telephone radiofrequency fields

No Effects Found

Finnie JW, Blumbergs PC, Cai Z, Manavis J · 2009

View Original Abstract
Share:

Mice exposed to 900 MHz RF fields at 4 W/kg for 60 minutes or 2 years showed no increase in aquaporin-4 expression compared to controls.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed mice to 900 MHz radiofrequency fields at a specific absorption rate of 4 W/kg for 60 minutes or for 5 days per week over 104 weeks. Control mice were sham-exposed or freely moving to account for restraint stress, and a positive control group received a clostridial toxin that upregulates aquaporin-4. No immunohistochemically detectable up-regulation of aquaporin-4 was observed in exposed mouse brains after either short or long exposure durations.

Why This Matters

Brain tissue was perfusion-fixed, sectioned at six coronal levels, and immunostained for aquaporin-4. A clostridial toxin caused substantial AQP-4 upregulation in mouse brains.

Exposure Details

SAR
4 W/kg
Source/Device
900 MHz
Exposure Duration
60 min or 5 days/week for 104 weeks

Exposure Context

This study used 4 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):

Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 4 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)This level is 3 times the FCC limit
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

Study Details

To determine whether exposure to mobile telephone radiofrequency (RF) fields, either acutely or long-term, produces up-regulation of the water channel protein, aquaporin-4 (AQP-4).

Using a purpose-designed exposure system at 900 MHz, mice were given a single, far-field whole body ...

There was no increase in AQP-4 expression in brains exposed to mobile phone microwaves compared to c...

Brains exposed to mobile telephone RF fields for a short (60 minutes) or long (2 years) duration did not show any immunohistochemically detectable up-regulation of the water channel protein, AQP-4, suggesting that there was no significant increase in blood-brain barrier permeability.

Cite This Study
Finnie JW, Blumbergs PC, Cai Z, Manavis J (2009). Expression of the water channel protein, aquaporin-4, in mouse brains exposed to mobile telephone radiofrequency fields Pathology. 41(5):473-475, 2009a.
Show BibTeX
@article{jw_2009_expression_of_the_water_2752,
  author = {Finnie JW and Blumbergs PC and Cai Z and Manavis J},
  title = {Expression of the water channel protein, aquaporin-4, in mouse brains exposed to mobile telephone radiofrequency fields},
  year = {2009},
  doi = {10.1080/00313020902885045},
  url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00313020902885045},
}
DOI: 10.1080/00313020902885045

Cited By (12 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

Mice were exposed to 900 MHz fields at 4 W/kg for 60 minutes or 5 days per week for 104 weeks.
No increase in AQP-4 expression was detected in brains of mice exposed for 60 minutes or 2 years compared to control mice.
Controls were sham-exposed mice and freely moving caged mice to control for restraint stress.