The effect of exposure to 1800 MHz radiofrequency radiation on epidermal growth factor, caspase-3, Hsp27 and p38MAPK gene expressions in the rat eye


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Eker E. D., Arslan B., Yildirim M., Akar A., Aras N.

BRATISLAVA MEDICAL JOURNAL-BRATISLAVSKE LEKARSKE LISTY, no.9, pp.588-592, 2018 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Publication Date: 2018
  • Doi Number: 10.4149/bll_2018_106
  • Journal Name: BRATISLAVA MEDICAL JOURNAL-BRATISLAVSKE LEKARSKE LISTY
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.588-592
  • Keywords: radiofrequency radiation, rat eye, gene expression, caspase-3, p38MAPK, HSP27/P38MAPK STRESS PATHWAY, LENS EPITHELIAL-CELLS, OXIDATIVE STRESS, ELECTROMAGNETIC-FIELDS, DROSOPHILA EYE, PHONE EXPOSURE, DNA-DAMAGE, APOPTOSIS, CANCER, BRAIN
  • Ondokuz Mayıs University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) may induce DNA damage and oxidative stress in human lens epithelial cells (LECs). We aimed to investigate the expression levels of heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and caspase-3 gene expression levels in rat eye that was exposed to 1800 MHz RF-EMF. METHODS: Thirty-seven female Wistar albino rats were divided into three groups. The rats in the study group (n = 9) were exposed to 1800 MHz RF-EMF at an electric field 6.8 +/- 0.1 V/m and 0.06 W/kg specific absorption rate (SAR) for 2 hours per day for eight weeks. Sham group (n = 9) was kept under similar conditions as the exposed group without exposure to RF-EMF. The rats in all three groups were sacrificed and their eyes were removed. Hsp27, p38MAPK, EGFR, caspase-3 gene expression levels were investigated in detail with real-time polymerase chain reactions (Real-Time PCR). RESULTS: caspase-3 and p38MAPK gene expression were significantly upregulated in the ocular tissues following exposure to RF-EMF (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: According to our findings, eye cells recognize EMF as a stress factor, and in response, activate caspase-3 and p38MAPK gene expressions. These results confirm that RF-EMF can cause cellular damage in rat ocular cells (Tab. 2, Fig. 3, Ref. 37). Text in PDF www.elis.sk.