Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Exposure to radiation from global system for mobile communications at 1,800 MHz significantly changes gene expression in rat hippocampus and cortex

  • Published:
The Environmentalist Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We have earlier shown that radio frequency electromagnetic fields can cause significant leakage of albumin through the blood–brain barrier of exposed rats as compared to non-exposed rats, and also significant neuronal damage in rat brains several weeks after a 2 h exposure to a mobile phone, at 915 MHz with a global system for mobile communications (GSM) frequency modulation, at whole-body specific absorption rate values (SAR) of 200, 20, 2, and 0.2 mW/kg. We have now studied whether 6 h of exposure to the radiation from a GSM mobile test phone at 1,800 MHz (at a whole-body SAR-value of 13 mW/kg, corresponding to a brain SAR-value of 30 mW/kg) has an effect upon the gene expression pattern in rat brain cortex and hippocampus—areas where we have observed albumin leakage from capillaries into neurons and neuronal damage. Microarray analysis of 31,099 rat genes, including splicing variants, was performed in cortex and hippocampus of 8 Fischer 344 rats, 4 animals exposed to global system for mobile communications electromagnetic fields for 6 h in an anechoic chamber, one rat at a time, and 4 controls kept as long in the same anechoic chamber without exposure, also in this case one rat at a time. Gene ontology analysis (using the gene ontology categories biological processes, molecular functions, and cell components) of the differentially expressed genes of the exposed animals versus the control group revealed the following highly significant altered gene categories in both cortex and hippocampus: extracellular region, signal transducer activity, intrinsic to membrane, and integral to membrane. The fact that most of these categories are connected with membrane functions may have a relation to our earlier observation of albumin transport through brain capillaries.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aas AT, Brun A, Blennow C, Strömblad S, Salford LG (1995) The RG2 rat glioma model. J Neurooncol 23:175–183

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ashburner M, Ball CA, Blake JA, Botstein D, Butler H, Cherry JM, Davis AP, Dolinski K, Dwight SS, Eppig JT, Harris MA, Hill DP, Issel-Tarver L, Kasarskis A, Lewis S, Matese JC, Richardson JE, Ringwald M, Rubin GM, Sherlock G (2000) Gene ontology: tool for the unification of biology. The Gene Ontology Consortium. Nat Genet 25:25–29

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Belyaev I (2005) Non-thermal biological effects of microwaves. Microw Rev 11:13–29, available on http://www.mwr.medianis.net/pdf/Vol11No2-03-IBelyaev.pdf

    Google Scholar 

  • Belyaev IY, Bauréus Koch C, Terenius O, Roxstrom-Lindquist K, Malmgren LO, Sommer WH, Salford LG, Persson BRR (2006) Exposure of rat brain to 915 MHz GSM microwaves induces changes in gene expression but not double stranded DNA breaks or effects on chromatin conformation. Bioelectromagnetics 27:295–306

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bauréus Koch CLM, Sommarin M, Persson BRR, Salford LG, Eberhardt JL (2003) Interaction between weak low frequency magnetic fields and cell membranes. Bioelectromagnetics 24:395–402

  • Breslin T, Eden P, Krogh M (2004) Comparing functional annotation analyses with Catmap. BMC Bioinformatics 5:193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corcoran EE, Means AR (2000) Defining Ca2+/Calmodulin protein kinase cascades in transcriptional regulation. J Biol Chem 276:2975–2978

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Czyz J, Guan K, Zeng Q, Nikolova T, Meister A, Schönborn F, Schuderer J, Kuster N, Wobus AM (2004). High frequency electromagnetic fields (GSM signals) affect gene expression levels in tumor suppressor p53-deficient embryonic stem cells. Bioelectromagnetics 25:296–307

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Friedman J, Kraus S, Hauptman Y, Schiff Y, Seger R (2007) Mechanism of a short-term ERK activation by electromagnetic fields at mobile phone frequency. Biochem J 559–568

  • Gentleman RC, Carey VJ, Bates DM, Bolstad B, Dettling M, Dudoit S, Ellis B, Gautier L, Ge Y, Gentry J, Hornik K, Hothorn T, Huber W, Iacus S, Irizarry R, Leisch F, Li C, Maechler M, Rossini AJ, Sawitzki G, Smith C, Smyth G, Tiernev L, Yang JY, Zhang J (2004) Bioconductor: open software development for computational biology and bioinformatics. Genome Biol 5:R80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gurisik E, Warton K, Martin D, Valenzuela S (2006) An in vitro study of the effects of exposure to a GSM signal in two human cell lines: monocytic U937 and neuroblastoma SK-N-SH. Cell Biol Int 30:93–799

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hassel B, Iversen EG, Fonnum F (1994) Neurotoxicity of albumin in vivo. Neurosci Lett 167:29–32

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ICNIRP (1998) Guidelines for limiting exposure to time-varying electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields (up to 300 GHz). Health Phys 74:494–522

    Google Scholar 

  • Ihaka R, Gentleman R (1996) R: a language for data analysis and graphics. J Comput Graph Stat 3:299–314

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Irizarry RA, Hobbs B, Collin F, Beazer-Barclay YD, Antonellis KJ, Scherf U, Speed TP (2003) Exploration, normalization, and summaries of high density oligonucleotide array probe level data. Biostatistics 4:249–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LeBlanc D, Hatcher D, Post R (2000) Finite-difference time-domain front-end utility. Brooks Airforce Base, Texas, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee S, Johnson D, Dunban K, Dong H, Ge X, Kim YC, Wing C, Jayathilaka N, Emmanuela N, Zhou CQ, Gerber HL, Tseng CC, Wang SM (2005) 2.45GHz radiofrequency fields alter gene expression in cultured human cells. FEBS Lett 579:4829–4836

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li HH, Lee SM, Cai Y, Suttin RL, Hovida DA (2004) Differential gene expression in hippocampus following experimental brain trauma reveals distinct features of moderate and severe injuries. J Neurotrauma 21:1141–1153

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malmgren L (1998) Radio frequency systems for NMR imaging coil development and studies of non-thermal biological effects. Series of licentiate and doctoral theses. No. 6, Department of Applied Electronics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

  • Nadal A, Fuentes E, Pastor J, McNaughton PA (1997) Plasma albumin induces calcium waves in rat cortical astrocytes. Glia 19:343–351

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nikolova T, Czyz J, Rolletschek A, Blyszczuk P, Fuch J, Jovtchec G (2005) Electromagnetic fields affect transcript levels of apoptosis-related genes in embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells. FASEB J 19:1686–1688

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nylund R, Leszczynski D (2006) Mobile phone radiation causes changes in gene and protein expression in human endothelial cell lines and the response seems to be genome- and proteome-dependent. Proteomics 6:4769–80

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pacini S, Ruggiero M, Sardi I, Aterini S, Gulisano F, Fulisano M (2002) Exposure to global system for mobile communication (GSM) cellular phone radiofrequency alters gene expression, proliferation, and morphology of human skin fibroblasts. Oncol Res 13:19–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Persson BRR, Salford LG (1995) Permeability of the blood–brain barrier in rats induced by continuous wave and pulse-modulated 915 MHz electromagnetic radiation exposure in TEM-cells. In: Chiabrera A, Juutilainen J (eds) Proceedings of the COST 244 workshop, Kuopio Finland, 3–4 September 1995, EU DG XIII, Brussels: COST 244, pp 66–72

  • Persson BRR, Salford LG, Brun A (1997) Blood–Brain Barrier permeability in rats exposed to electromagnetic fields used in wireless communication. Wirel Netw 3:455–461

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qutob S, Chauchan V, Bellier P, Yauk C, Douglas G, Berndt L, Williams A, Gajda GB, Lemay E, Thansandote A, McNamee JP (2006) Microarray gene expression profiling of human glioblastoma cell line exposed in vitro to a 1.9 GHz pulse-modulated radiofrequency field. Radiat Res 165:636–44

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Remondini D, Nylund R, Reivinen J, Poulletier de Gannes F, Veyret B, Lagroye I, Haro E, Trillo MA, Capri M, Franceschi C, Schlatterer K, Gminski R, Fitzner R, Tauber R, Schuderer J, Kuster N, Leszczynski D, Bersani F, Maercker C (2006) Gene expression changes in human cells after exposure to mobile phone microwaves. Proteomics 6:4745–54

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Salford LG, Brun A, Eberhardt J, Malmgren L, Persson B (1992) Electromagnetic field-induced permeability of the blood–brain barrier shown by immunohistochemical methods. In: Nordén B, Ramel C (eds) Interactin mechanism of low-level electromagnetic fields in living systems. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 251–258

  • Salford LG, Brun A, Eberhardt JL, Persson BRR (1993) Permeability of the blood–brain-barrier induced by 915 MHz electromagnetic-radiation, continuous wave and modulated at 8, 16, 50 And 200 Hz. Bioelectrochem Bioenerg 30:293–301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salford LG, Brun A, Sturesson K, Eberhardt JL, Persson BRR (1994) Permeability of the blood–brain-barrier induced by 915 MHz electromagnetic-radiation, continuous wave and modulated at 8, 16, 50 and 200 Hz. Microsc Res Tech 6:535–542

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salford LG, Persson BRR, Brun A (1997) Neurological aspects on wireless communication. In: Bernhardt JH, Matthes R, Repacholi MH (eds) Non-Thermal Effects of RF electromagnetic fields. International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, Munich, Germany, pp 131–143

    Google Scholar 

  • Salford LG, Persson B, Malmgren L, Brun A (2001) Téléphonie Mobile et Barrière Sang-Cerveau. In: Marco P (ed) Téléphonie Mobile—Effets Potentiels sur la Santé des Ondes Électromagnétiques de Haute Fréquence, Embourg, Belgium. pp 141–152

    Google Scholar 

  • Salford LG, Brun AE, Eberhardt JL, Malmgren L, Persson BRR (2003) Nerve cell damage in mammalian brain after exposure to microwaves from GSM mobile phones. Environ Health Perspect 111:881–883 (discussion A408)

    Google Scholar 

  • Shivers R, Kavaliers M, Teskey G, Prato F, Pelletier R (1987) Magnetic resonance imaging temporarily alters blood–brain barrier in the rat. Neurosci Lett 76:25–31

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sokrab TEO, Johansson BB, Kalimo H, Olsson Y (1988) A transient hypertensive opening of the blood–brain barrier can lead to brain damage. Extravasation of serum proteins and cellular changes in rats subjected to aortic compression. Acta Neuropathol 75:557–565

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stagg RB, Havel LH III, Pastorian K, Cain C, Adey WR, Byus CV (2001) Effect of immobilization and concurrent exposure to a pulse-modulated microwave field on core body temperature, plasma ACTH and corticosteroid, and brain ornithine decarboxylase, Fos and Jun mRNA. Radiat Res 155:584–592

    Google Scholar 

  • Stewart W (2000) Mobile phones and health [Internet]. Independent IEGMP expert group on mobile phones. Available from www.iegmp.org.uk (Last updated 16 October 2001)

  • Zhao R, Zhang SZ, Yao GD, Lu DQ, Huai J, Xu ZP (2006) Effect of 1.8 GHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on the expression of microtubule associated protein 2 in rat neurons [Article in Chinese]. Zhonghua Lao Dong Wei Sheng Zhi Ye Bing Za Zhi. 24:222–225

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao T, Zou S, Knapp PE (2007) Exposure to cell phone radiation up-regulated apoptosis genes in primary cultures of neurons and astrocytes. Neurosci Lett 412:34–38

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Susanne Strömblad and Catharina Blennow for excellent technical assistance. We acknowledge the help by microarray labwork and analysis by Ann-Sofie Albrekt at the Microarray Resource Centre at Lund University. This study was supported by the Hans and Märit Rausing Charitable Foundation, the Lund University Hospital Funds, the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation through the Swegene consortium and the Strategic Science Foundation (SSF) CREATE Health centre (MK).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Neurosurgery, Lund University Hospital, 22185, Lund, Sweden

    Henrietta Nittby, Henrik Berlin, Gustav Rehn & Leif G. Salford

  2. Tumour Immunology, Lund University, the Rausing Laboratory and Lund University Hospital, 22185, Lund, Sweden

    Bengt Widegren

  3. Theoretical Physics and Protein Technology, Lund University, the Rausing Laboratory and Lund University Hospital, 22185, Lund, Sweden

    Morten Krogh

  4. Medical Radiation Physics, Lund University, the Rausing Laboratory and Lund University Hospital, 22185, Lund, Sweden

    Gustav Grafström, Jacob L. Eberhardt & Bertil R. R. Persson

  5. Applied Electronics, Lund University, the Rausing Laboratory and Lund University Hospital, 22185, Lund, Sweden

    Lars Malmgren

Authors
  1. Henrietta Nittby
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bengt Widegren
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Morten Krogh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gustav Grafström
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Henrik Berlin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Gustav Rehn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Jacob L. Eberhardt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Lars Malmgren
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Bertil R. R. Persson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Leif G. Salford
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Leif G. Salford.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nittby, H., Widegren, B., Krogh, M. et al. Exposure to radiation from global system for mobile communications at 1,800 MHz significantly changes gene expression in rat hippocampus and cortex. Environmentalist 28, 458–465 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-008-9170-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-008-9170-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation