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Nonthermal GSM RF and ELF EMF effects upon rat BBB permeability

Nittby, Henrietta LU ; Brun, Arne LU ; Strömblad, Susanne LU ; Moghadam, Mehri Kaviani LU ; Sun, Wenjun ; Malmgren, Lars LU ; Eberhardt, Jacob LU ; Persson, Bertil R. LU orcid and Salford, Leif G. LU (2011) In The Environmentalist 31(2). p.140-148
Abstract

Since the late 1980s, our group has examined the effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF), including pulse-modulated waves of the type emitted by mobile phones, upon the blood-brain barrier. In more than 2,000 rats, we have repeatedly demonstrated a passage of the rats' own albumin from the blood through the brain capillaries into the surrounding brain parenchyma at SAR values down to 0.1mW/kg. In most of these experiments, the animals were exposed in TEM-cells, ventilated by an external electrical fan at 50 Hz. In the present study, we examined whether the extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields from the fan (50 Hz, 0.3-1.5 μT) might add to the RF effect. Sixty-four rats were divided into 4 groups: RF only, ELF... (More)

Since the late 1980s, our group has examined the effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF), including pulse-modulated waves of the type emitted by mobile phones, upon the blood-brain barrier. In more than 2,000 rats, we have repeatedly demonstrated a passage of the rats' own albumin from the blood through the brain capillaries into the surrounding brain parenchyma at SAR values down to 0.1mW/kg. In most of these experiments, the animals were exposed in TEM-cells, ventilated by an external electrical fan at 50 Hz. In the present study, we examined whether the extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields from the fan (50 Hz, 0.3-1.5 μT) might add to the RF effect. Sixty-four rats were divided into 4 groups: RF only, ELF only and RF + ELF exposure plus a sham group. The GSM-900 MHz RF exposure was at the very low, nonthermal, average whole-body SAR level 0.4 mW/kg. Demonstration of the normally occurring albumin extravasation in the basal hypothalamus is our inbuilt control proving that the staining is reliable. Two full series of staining of the whole material gave negative results for hypothalamus. Not until we changed to avidin, biotin, and antibodies from a third supplier, we received an acceptable staining. Twenty-five percent of the RF animals had a pathological albumin leakage, while the ELF and RF + ELF groups with three and two pathological findings, respectively, were not significantly different from the control group. We conclude that the use of external fans has had no major influence upon the result.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Albumin, Blood-brain barrier, Electromagnetic field, Histopathology, Mobile phone, Rat
in
The Environmentalist
volume
31
issue
2
pages
9 pages
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:79956123764
ISSN
0251-1088
DOI
10.1007/s10669-011-9307-z
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
404f65ae-56bb-45f9-bf8a-3c693e8fa082
date added to LUP
2020-05-07 20:57:28
date last changed
2022-02-01 06:08:01
@article{404f65ae-56bb-45f9-bf8a-3c693e8fa082,
  abstract     = {{<p>Since the late 1980s, our group has examined the effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF), including pulse-modulated waves of the type emitted by mobile phones, upon the blood-brain barrier. In more than 2,000 rats, we have repeatedly demonstrated a passage of the rats' own albumin from the blood through the brain capillaries into the surrounding brain parenchyma at SAR values down to 0.1mW/kg. In most of these experiments, the animals were exposed in TEM-cells, ventilated by an external electrical fan at 50 Hz. In the present study, we examined whether the extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields from the fan (50 Hz, 0.3-1.5 μT) might add to the RF effect. Sixty-four rats were divided into 4 groups: RF only, ELF only and RF + ELF exposure plus a sham group. The GSM-900 MHz RF exposure was at the very low, nonthermal, average whole-body SAR level 0.4 mW/kg. Demonstration of the normally occurring albumin extravasation in the basal hypothalamus is our inbuilt control proving that the staining is reliable. Two full series of staining of the whole material gave negative results for hypothalamus. Not until we changed to avidin, biotin, and antibodies from a third supplier, we received an acceptable staining. Twenty-five percent of the RF animals had a pathological albumin leakage, while the ELF and RF + ELF groups with three and two pathological findings, respectively, were not significantly different from the control group. We conclude that the use of external fans has had no major influence upon the result.</p>}},
  author       = {{Nittby, Henrietta and Brun, Arne and Strömblad, Susanne and Moghadam, Mehri Kaviani and Sun, Wenjun and Malmgren, Lars and Eberhardt, Jacob and Persson, Bertil R. and Salford, Leif G.}},
  issn         = {{0251-1088}},
  keywords     = {{Albumin; Blood-brain barrier; Electromagnetic field; Histopathology; Mobile phone; Rat}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{140--148}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{The Environmentalist}},
  title        = {{Nonthermal GSM RF and ELF EMF effects upon rat BBB permeability}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10669-011-9307-z}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10669-011-9307-z}},
  volume       = {{31}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}