Studying gene expression profile of rat neuron exposed to 1800 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields with cDNA microassay
Zhao R, Zhang S, Xu Z, Ju L, Lu D, Yao G. · 2007
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation at realistic exposure levels altered the activity of 34 genes in brain neurons, affecting basic cellular functions.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rat brain cells to cell phone radiation (1800 MHz) for 24 hours and found 34 genes changed their activity levels, affecting cell structure and function. This shows mobile phone radiation can alter how genes work in brain cells.
Why This Matters
This study provides direct molecular evidence that radiofrequency radiation at cell phone frequencies can alter gene expression in brain neurons. The researchers used a SAR level of 2 W/kg, which is at the upper limit of what current phones are allowed to emit and represents realistic exposure levels during phone calls held close to the head. What makes this research particularly significant is that it identified specific genes involved in fundamental cellular processes - from maintaining cell structure to metabolizing energy - that respond to RF exposure. The fact that 34 different genes showed altered expression patterns suggests the biological effects are not random but represent a coordinated cellular response to electromagnetic stress. While this was conducted on isolated neurons rather than whole animals, it adds to the growing body of evidence that EMF exposure can trigger measurable biological changes at the cellular level, even when those changes don't immediately manifest as obvious health symptoms.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 2 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 1.800 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 24-h
Exposure Context
This study used 2 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 5x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.4 W/kg
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 Details
the aim of this investigation was to determine whether 1800 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) can influence the gene expression of neuron.
Affymetrix Rat Neurobiology U34 array was applied to investigate the changes of gene expression in r...
Among 1200 candidate genes, 24 up-regulted genes and 10 down-regulated genes were identified after 2...
The present results indicated that the gene expression of rat neuron could be altered by exposure to RF EMF under our experimental conditions.
Show BibTeX
@article{r_2007_studying_gene_expression_profile_212,
author = {Zhao R and Zhang S and Xu Z and Ju L and Lu D and Yao G.},
title = {Studying gene expression profile of rat neuron exposed to 1800 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields with cDNA microassay},
year = {2007},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0300483X07001837},
}