Electromagnetic radiation at 900 MHz induces sperm apoptosis through bcl-2, bax and caspase-3 signaling pathways in rats.
Liu Q, Si T, Xu X, Liang F, Wang L, Pan S. · 2015
View Original AbstractThis study shows 900 MHz radiation increases sperm cell death by 91% at exposure levels comparable to typical cell phone use.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed male rats to 900 MHz cell phone radiation for two hours daily over 50 days. Sperm cell death increased 91% compared to unexposed rats, with radiation triggering cellular damage through increased free radicals and decreased antioxidant defenses, demonstrating clear reproductive harm.
Why This Matters
This study delivers compelling evidence that radiofrequency radiation damages male fertility at the cellular level. The 0.66 W/kg exposure level falls within the range of typical cell phone use, making these findings directly relevant to millions of men who carry phones in their pockets daily. What makes this research particularly significant is that it identifies the specific biological mechanism - the researchers traced exactly how RF radiation triggers sperm cell death through oxidative stress and well-known cellular pathways. The 91% increase in sperm apoptosis isn't just a statistical finding; it represents a clear biological response with obvious implications for male fertility. When you consider that sperm quality has declined dramatically over recent decades coinciding with the rise of wireless technology, studies like this help explain a potential mechanism behind concerning fertility trends.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.66 ± 0.01 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 900-MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 h/d
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
The present study investigates whether RF-EMR at a frequency of 900 MHz can trigger sperm cell apoptosis and affect semen morphology, concentration, and microstructure.
Twenty four rats were exposed to 900 MHz electromagnetic radiation with a special absorption rate of...
In the present study, the percentage of apoptotic sperm cells in the exposure group was significantl...
RF-EMR increases the ROS level and decreases TAC in rat sperm. Excessive oxidative stress alters the expression levels of apoptosis-related genes and triggers sperm apoptosis through bcl-2, bax, cytochrome c and caspase-3 signaling pathways
Show BibTeX
@article{q_2015_electromagnetic_radiation_at_900_546,
author = {Liu Q and Si T and Xu X and Liang F and Wang L and Pan S.},
title = {Electromagnetic radiation at 900 MHz induces sperm apoptosis through bcl-2, bax and caspase-3 signaling pathways in rats.},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1186/s12978-015-0062-3},
url = {https://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12978-015-0062-3},
}