ID Number		1900
Study Type		In Vivo
Model		60 Hz ELF exposure to mice and analysis of sperm cell apoptosis
Details		Balb/c mice were exposed to a 60 Hz ELF magnetic field at 0.1 or 0.5 milliT for 24 hr/day for 8 weeks and evaluated for testicular germ cell apoptosis. The authors did not find any significant effect on body or testicular weight, but did find a significantly increased incidence of testicular germ cell death. In a subsequent study using a similar exposure at 14 or 200 microT for 24 hr/day for 16 weeks, the authors again reported no effect on body weight or testosterone levels. In TUNEL staining (In situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferasemediated deoxy-UTP nick end labeling), germ cells from exposed mice showed a significantly higher apoptotic rate than sham controls (P<0.001). TUNEL-positive cells were mainly spermatogonia. In an electron microscopic study, degenerating spermatogonia showed condensation of nuclear chromatin similar to apoptosis. These results indicate that apoptosis may be induced in spermatogenic cells in mice by continuous exposure to 60 Hz MF of 14 microT. AUTHORS' ABSTRACT: Kim et al. 2015 (IEEE #6407): To evaluate duration- and dose-dependent effects of continuous exposure to a 60 Hz magnetic field (MF) on the testes in mice, BALB/c male mice were exposed to a 60 Hz MF at 100 ¼T for 24 h a day for 2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks, and at 2, 20, or 200 ¼T for 24 h a day for 8 weeks. Any exposures to MF did not significantly affect body or testicular masses. However, the apoptotic cells among testicular germ cells were increased duration-dependent at exposures of 100 ¼T for 6 and 8 weeks and dose-dependent at exposures of 20 and 200 ¼T for 8 weeks. The number of sperm in epididymis and the diameter of seminiferous tubule decreased in mice exposed to 100 and 200 ¼T for 8 weeks, respectively. To induce the apoptosis of testicular germ cell in mice, the minimum dose is 20 ¼T at continuous exposure to a 60 Hz MF for 8 weeks and the minimum duration is 6 weeks at continuous exposure of 100 ¼T. Taken together, these results suggest that continuous exposure to a 60 Hz MF might affect, duration- and dose-dependent biological processes including apoptotic cell death and spermatogenesis in the male reproductive system of mice.
Findings		Effects
Status		Completed With Publication
Principal Investigator		Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea - ywkim@hallym.ac.kr
Funding Agency		Private/Instit.
Country		KOREA, REPUBLIC OF
References		Kim, YW et al. Bioelectromagnetics, (2009) 30:66-72 Lee, JS et al. Asian J Androl, (2004) 6:29-34 Kim, HS et al. Bioelectromagnetics., (2014) 35:10-107
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