Objective To study the effects of prenatal exposure to 1 800 MHz electromagnetic waves (EMWs) on apoptosis in hippocampus of offspring rats.
Methods Twenty-four SPF graded SD rats (male-female ratio, 1:2) at age of 7 weeks old were randomly divided into paired groups:EMWs exposure group at 0.5 mW/cm2 and paired with control 1 group; EMWs exposure group at 1.0 mW/cm2 and paired with control 2 group. The pregnant rats in the exposure groups were respectively and continuously irra diated with 1 800 MHz EMWs at a power density of 0.5 mW/cm2 or 1.0 mW/cm2 for 12 hours per day from day 0 to day 20 of pregnancy. Then 8 offspring rats (male-female ratio, 1:1) were selected from each group at 3 and 7 weeks of age respectively to detect apoptosis rate in hippocampus.
Results The prenatal exposure to 0.5 mW/cm2 EMWs obviously increased apoptosis in hippocampus in the offspring rats at 3 weeks of age compared with the control groups and the 1.0 mW/cm2 group (P>0.05). The prenatal exposure to 0.5 mW/cm2 and 1.0 mW/cm2 EMWs remarkably increased apoptosis in hippocampus in the offspring rats at 7 weeks of age (P>0.05).
Conclusion Prenatal exposure to 1 800 MHz electromagnetic waves at power density of 0.5 mW/cm2 and 1.0 mW/cm2 may increase apoptosis in hippocampus in young and adult offspring rats.
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