Volume 28, Issue 2 (Spring 2022)
Intern Med Today 2022, 28(2): 264-279 |
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Gharachorloo S, Khaki A, Mirzayei H. Histopathological Study of Urinary Tract and Induction of Renal Apoptosis by Radiating Electromagnetic Field Waves in Rats. Intern Med Today 2022; 28 (2) :264-279
URL: http://imtj.gmu.ac.ir/article-1-2952-en.html
URL: http://imtj.gmu.ac.ir/article-1-2952-en.html
1- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Tabriz Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran. , shahramghk1382@gmail.com
2- Anatomical Sciences &Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical science university of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
3- Department of Food Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Tabriz Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.
2- Anatomical Sciences &Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical science university of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
3- Department of Food Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Tabriz Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.
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Introduction
Sources of generating electromagnetic field (EMF) waves are the origin of advanced technologies in important industries, such as medical equipment, household appliances, etc., which are all used daily by society. One of the side effects of these waves can be the possible harmful effects on human society as a result of industrial life. A large number of people are always unintentionally affected by electromagnetic waves in their daily life. Electromagnetic waves have various forms and can be classified from the point of view of the generating sources of the waves. The category of electromagnetic waves that are generated from the sources of medical devices and equipment, for example, radiology devices, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography scan, and ultrasound devices. The category of electromagnetic waves that are generated by telecommunication equipment and power plants are different types of mobile phones, computers, and monitors, the presence of ferromagnets in industry, high-pressure electric and wireless cables, and telecommunication masts. The next category is obtained from all kinds of household appliances, such as televisions, vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, electric shavers, microwave ovens and electric mattresses, electric sewing machines, or a group created from industrial appliances and equipment, for example, elevators, generators, and radar. Or, they are natural sources that generate electromagnetic waves, such as lightning, ultraviolet rays, gamma and X rays, infrared waves, cosmic rays, rays released from solar explosions, and so on.
Electromagnetic waves are classified based on the intensity of the field, which varies depending on the dose and intensity of the EMF in its generating devices based on the determination of the type of source generating the field and the intensity of the electric current [1, 2]. With the significant increase in the use of emerging and computer-related technologies, which are all generators of electromagnetic waves worldwide, we should expect more reports about the occurrence of destructive and harmful effects of EMF and possible damage to important body organs and the creation of new unknown diseases in human societies, including the destructive effect of electromagnetic waves in the reproductive organs, which has caused an increase in infertility and sterility in recent years. In the prostate tissue, the destructive effect of the waves destroys the nuclear membrane and cellular organs and causes infertility [3]. In the daily life of society, it is not possible to avoid electromagnetic waves, and in recent years, histological and physiological studies regarding the evaluation of the effects of electromagnetic waves and their role in human health have received more attention [4]. In recent studies, electromagnetic waves have played a role in creating a wide range of somatic abnormalities, including infertility, miscarriage, premature births, intrauterine growth retardation and defects, congenital abnormalities, genetic diseases [5], along with digestive disorders, leukemia-cancers and changes in blood formula, and enzyme changes in vital tissues [6]. Also, many studies have been conducted on the harmful effects of EMF on cardiovascular nervous tissues [1].
The results of the researchers’ study on the effect of EMF on the kidney tissue in rats also showed that it causes pathological changes in the kidney tissue and leads to oxidative stress while decreasing the levels of antioxidant enzymes [7]. Harmful effects of EMF of natural or industrial origin on the morphology, physiology, and biochemistry of living tissues have been described, and its effects on health depend on duration and dose [8]. Given the importance of the urogenital system in the present study, we investigate the possible effects of electromagnetic waves on the urinary system (kidney, bladder, and urethra) in rats.
Materials and Methods
In this fundamental and experimental research, a total of 100 adults Wistar rats with an approximate average weight of 200 g were randomly selected from the animal house of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. In this study, all ethical considerations and protocols for working on laboratory animals were approved by the Ethics Committee for the rights of laboratory animals at the research center of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. After the mice were transferred to the laboratory, they were kept in cages for one week to adapt to the new environment. The conditions of keeping the rats (experimental and control) were the same during the maintenance and testing, and the food used by them was placed in containers inside the cage. Along with that, the required drinking water was also provided from a bottle by sucking from the glass tubes. The inside of the cages was covered with sawdust to provide a suitable substrate for the rats to live, and during the research, they had 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of light. The temperature of the storage room was in the range of 23.9°C to 25.3°C and the humidity was measured at 55% to 60%. Meanwhile, 20 grams of ready-made food (plate) was considered for each rat twice daily in the morning and evening. The rats were randomly divided into 2 groups of 50, including Group A (experimental group) and Group B (control group) as follows: group A (experimental group) included 50 rats that were randomly selected and placed in the generating device of EMF. All the rats in the experimental group were exposed to EMF with an intensity of 1 mT for 8 hours daily for 2 months. The control group, including 50 randomly selected rats were kept without radiation for 2 months [1, 9]. The EMF device consisted of 2 parts as follows: in the first part, 2 copper coils were replaced at a distance of about 50 cm from each other, and the distance between them was a wooden cylinder that was the location of the tested rats’ cage; the second part of the EMF generator was a transformer that showed the input and output of electricity, voltage, and the current intensity of the generator while making it adjustable. After the end of the eighth week of the experiment (2 months), all 100 rats in the control and experimental groups were killed via the euthanized method, and by moving the neck vertebra and later, kidney, bladder, and urethra samples were taken [10]. At first, the samples were fixed in 10% buffered formalin for light microscope study and tissue passage in the autotechnicon machine. The cutting was done by 5-micron sections with a microtome and the microscopic sections were prepared and stained with hematoxylin and eosin for bladder and ureter and special staining with the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) nick end labeling (TUNEL) kit for the kidney. Next, the following procedure was performed: 1) paraffinization of the tissue sections in pure xylene; 2) placing the paraffinized tissue sections in a microwave with a power of 700 W for 10 minutes; 3) A: incubation of the tissue sections in phosphate buffer, B: incubation of the tissue sections for 60 minutes at 37°C; 4) washing the tissue sections 3 times in phosphate buffer; 5) incubation of tissue sections in antiflourescein-pad for 30 min; 6) washing the tissue sections 3 times in phosphate buffer; 7) staining the tissue sections with diaminobenzidine; and 8) differential staining with hematoxylin staining. Finally, we examined the microscopic observations and related images along with their results [11].
The Mann-Whitney test was used to analyze the data using the SPSS software at a significance level of less than 0.05.
Results
Test Group A: In the bladder and ureter, after tissue staining in terms of observation and the presence of important tissue lesions, such as necrosis, atrophy, the creation of empty spaces, and hyperemia and bleeding, and in the kidney of apoptosis induction, the test group compared to the control group was examined in terms of pathology based on the criteria mentioned in Table 1 [12, 13].
The statistical results of the P in kidney, bladder, and ureter cell lesions were as follows: 1) necrosis: P≤0.05; 2) atrophy: P≤0.05; 3) hyperemia and hemorrhage: P≤0.05; 4) creation of space: P≤0.05; 5) induction of apoptosis: P≤0.05 (Table 2).
The results showed that the effects of EMF waves are significantly related to changes in cell damage from the histopathological point of view and induction of apoptosis in the experimental group compared to the control group.
In the control group, from the observation of a microscopic sample of nephrons, bladder, and ureter in this group along with the examination of epithelial cells, smooth and striated muscles, connective tissue, and endothelial cells of blood vessels was normal and the distance between cells, nucleus, and cytoplasm and their walls was clear and no cell damage was visible (Figure 1).
However, in the experimental group, the results were as follows:
A) In kidney nephrons, to investigate the apoptosis of nephron cells in the kidney, with specific TUNEL staining in the nephron tubules and Henle loop, pale brown nuclei were observed. They all underwent apoptosis induction, and in some parts of the tubes, even the cells in a more advanced state without nuclei were seen, which were necrotic. Meanwhile, in the direct vessels, bleeding was evident in some parts because of the damage to the endothelium membrane (Figure 2).
B) In the covering tissue of the bladder, the creation of empty spaces was associated with the loss of the basal membrane layer under the covering layer and the necrosis of the muscle and covering cells along with the disorder of the bladder tissue (Figure 3 and Figure 4).
The basal layer of the membrane was destroyed under the covering layer and a fusion in the tissue and tissue disorder (between the covering layer and the underlying connective layer). In addition, hyperchromatic nuclei, atrophy and vacuolation, degeneration, and cell necrosis were seen. In the covering cells and the muscle layer under the joint and more advanced state, cellular atrophy and even empty space are created in the muscle tissue, which is accompanied by the pyknosis of the nuclei and in some cases, the creation of spaces in the muscle tissue, which was seen with extensive necrosis (Figure 5 and Figure 6).
C) In terms of the ureter, in the epidermal layer, parts of the basal membrane layer under the epidermal layer were destroyed and atrophy and cell degeneration along with hyperchromatic nuclei and necrosis of the epidermal cells and irregularity was observed. In the underlying layer, the epidermal tissue and empty spaces were created and tissue fusion with interstitial tissue irregularity and underlying tissue, along with their cell atrophy and necrosis, created empty spaces in smooth muscles and cell necrosis were seen (Figure 7).
Discussion
Field ionizing radiation or EMF waves can have destructive effects on the health of humans. The results of the studies conducted in rats from the histopathological point of view showed the following items in the selected sections:
A) In Kidney Tissue: With special TUNEL staining, to observe the rate of apoptosis in the kidney tissue in the cells of the nephron tube and the Henle loop, and so on, with pale brown nuclei in which apoptosis was induced and in parts of the tubes in the central part, all cells were in a more advanced state without nuclei that they had cell degeneration, necrosis, and bleeding in direct vessels in some parts of the tissue.
B) In the Tissue of the Bladder and Ureter: Cell damage includes the following items: the basal layer of the membrane, which is located under the covering layer of the bladder and ureter in the endothelium membrane of the vessels, is damaged and destroyed in some parts, and in the muscle, connective, and covering parts, most of the cells in its different layers undergo degeneration and crushing. Meanwhile, cell necrosis of the tissue can be seen with tissue irregularity and the creation of empty spaces under the covering layer and connective tissue. In research conducted from 1982 to the last decade, the effect of free radicals in tissue damage following exposure to electromagnetic waves has been proven in laboratory models [14-16].
In the conducted studies, the harmful effects of EMF waves on the process of spermatogenesis in rats have been reported, including the study of Erpek et al., which investigated the adverse effects of EMF. They showed the adverse effects of EMF on the reproductive organs of rats and necrosis in different layers of spermatogenesis cells and severe degenerative changes in the seminiferous duct [8]. The research by Kalender et al. showed the destructive effects of EMF waves on the process of spermatogenesis in rats. Erpek’s study showed that electromagnetic waves increase blood flow and vascular hyperemia and finally cell death necrosis by another mechanism, namely by increasing the temperature (hyperthermia). There are also studies conducted in the field of apoptosis induction. The effect of EMF waves on cells is different from the discussion of conductive and non-conductive tissues relative to the permeability of EMF waves. The heat effect mechanism under the influence of EMF waves plays a role in causing apoptosis inside the cells [18, 19]. The second mechanism in the induction of apoptosis includes the effects of EMF waves specifically with the production of H2O2 and free radicals, especially the O radical, which is caused by the energy contained in these waves and its effect on intracellular water and the penetration of these free radicals into DNA and the induction of the P53 gene. As a result, it is the cause of apoptosis induction in the cell. This mechanism is the non-thermal pathway of apoptosis induction [20]. In a report in the bulletin of the World Health Organization, the study of the effects of these fields was recorded. Accordingly, EMF with rease in blood flow and a change in the permeability of the blood barrier layer in the vessels; therefore, hyperemia and tissue edema can be justified in this way [21].
In the studies conducted from the histopathological point of view by Khaki et al. on the issue of the effect of EMF waves on the prostate in the rat from the point of view of light and electron microscopy, in which atrophy and hyperchromatic nuclei and cell necrosis in the secretory cells and muscle layer and the connective tissue of the prostate glands and with the decrease in the thickness of the muscle layer, the loss of the basal layer of the membrane, especially in the blood vessels and bleeding in the prostate tissue was reported [3]. Regarding the effect of EMF waves on the testicular tissue from the light microscope point of view, atrophy and the connective layer of the testicular tissue and hyperchromatic nuclei and their necrosis, the reduction of the thickness of the connective layer and the loss of layers of spermatid cells in the testicular tissue were determined [14]. Khayat et al. conducted a study on the effect of EMF waves on kidney tissue from the perspective of histopathological effects in rats [22]. Turedi et al. conducted a study on the biochemical and pathological changes in the kidney and bladder under the influence of 900 MHz electromagnetic waves on male rats [23]. These two studies reported severe histopathological changes of edema, hyperemia, hemorrhage, and congestion of venous vessels in the main tissue and atrophy of glomeruli and vacuolation and degeneration and necrosis of epithelial cells in renal tubules. In addition, the basal membrane layer in parts around the blood vessel is removed and accompanied by discontinuities in the vascular endothelial cell layers, as well as the creation of empty spaces in the bladder tissue and cell necrosis in the muscle and connective and covering parts of the tissue with tissue irregularity and the creation of empty spaces under the covering and connective layer and muscle and induction of apoptosis in bladder and kidney tissues in rats. The results obtained in the present research are consistent with other studies about the harmful effects of EMF waves in different tissues and cells.
It is suggested to conduct additional and more detailed studies to examine the additional results of the effects of EMF waves and the effects.
Conclusion
EMF waves are high-energy and common waves that can be sporadically present in our daily environment and cause serious damage to cells and vital tissues. Even the results and cellular changes in the microscopic images were undeniably observed in the kidney, bladder, and so on. Accordingly, it is recommended to avoid sources of radiation of these waves as much as possible to maintain health [17-24].
Ethical Considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
The procedures in this study were in accordance with the guidelines for the use of laboratory animals of Islamic Azad University of Tabriz branch and Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.
Funding
This study was funded by Islamic Azad University of Tabriz branch.
Authors' contributions
Conceptualization, supervision and methodology: Shahram Gharachorloo; data collection: Shahram Gharachorloo, and AmirAfshin Khaki; data analysis: Hamid Mirzaei; investigation, writing original draft, review & editing, funding acquisition, and resources: All authors.
Conflicts of interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the deputy for research of Islamic Azad University of Tabriz branch for the financial support.
Sources of generating electromagnetic field (EMF) waves are the origin of advanced technologies in important industries, such as medical equipment, household appliances, etc., which are all used daily by society. One of the side effects of these waves can be the possible harmful effects on human society as a result of industrial life. A large number of people are always unintentionally affected by electromagnetic waves in their daily life. Electromagnetic waves have various forms and can be classified from the point of view of the generating sources of the waves. The category of electromagnetic waves that are generated from the sources of medical devices and equipment, for example, radiology devices, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography scan, and ultrasound devices. The category of electromagnetic waves that are generated by telecommunication equipment and power plants are different types of mobile phones, computers, and monitors, the presence of ferromagnets in industry, high-pressure electric and wireless cables, and telecommunication masts. The next category is obtained from all kinds of household appliances, such as televisions, vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, electric shavers, microwave ovens and electric mattresses, electric sewing machines, or a group created from industrial appliances and equipment, for example, elevators, generators, and radar. Or, they are natural sources that generate electromagnetic waves, such as lightning, ultraviolet rays, gamma and X rays, infrared waves, cosmic rays, rays released from solar explosions, and so on.
Electromagnetic waves are classified based on the intensity of the field, which varies depending on the dose and intensity of the EMF in its generating devices based on the determination of the type of source generating the field and the intensity of the electric current [1, 2]. With the significant increase in the use of emerging and computer-related technologies, which are all generators of electromagnetic waves worldwide, we should expect more reports about the occurrence of destructive and harmful effects of EMF and possible damage to important body organs and the creation of new unknown diseases in human societies, including the destructive effect of electromagnetic waves in the reproductive organs, which has caused an increase in infertility and sterility in recent years. In the prostate tissue, the destructive effect of the waves destroys the nuclear membrane and cellular organs and causes infertility [3]. In the daily life of society, it is not possible to avoid electromagnetic waves, and in recent years, histological and physiological studies regarding the evaluation of the effects of electromagnetic waves and their role in human health have received more attention [4]. In recent studies, electromagnetic waves have played a role in creating a wide range of somatic abnormalities, including infertility, miscarriage, premature births, intrauterine growth retardation and defects, congenital abnormalities, genetic diseases [5], along with digestive disorders, leukemia-cancers and changes in blood formula, and enzyme changes in vital tissues [6]. Also, many studies have been conducted on the harmful effects of EMF on cardiovascular nervous tissues [1].
The results of the researchers’ study on the effect of EMF on the kidney tissue in rats also showed that it causes pathological changes in the kidney tissue and leads to oxidative stress while decreasing the levels of antioxidant enzymes [7]. Harmful effects of EMF of natural or industrial origin on the morphology, physiology, and biochemistry of living tissues have been described, and its effects on health depend on duration and dose [8]. Given the importance of the urogenital system in the present study, we investigate the possible effects of electromagnetic waves on the urinary system (kidney, bladder, and urethra) in rats.
Materials and Methods
In this fundamental and experimental research, a total of 100 adults Wistar rats with an approximate average weight of 200 g were randomly selected from the animal house of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. In this study, all ethical considerations and protocols for working on laboratory animals were approved by the Ethics Committee for the rights of laboratory animals at the research center of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. After the mice were transferred to the laboratory, they were kept in cages for one week to adapt to the new environment. The conditions of keeping the rats (experimental and control) were the same during the maintenance and testing, and the food used by them was placed in containers inside the cage. Along with that, the required drinking water was also provided from a bottle by sucking from the glass tubes. The inside of the cages was covered with sawdust to provide a suitable substrate for the rats to live, and during the research, they had 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of light. The temperature of the storage room was in the range of 23.9°C to 25.3°C and the humidity was measured at 55% to 60%. Meanwhile, 20 grams of ready-made food (plate) was considered for each rat twice daily in the morning and evening. The rats were randomly divided into 2 groups of 50, including Group A (experimental group) and Group B (control group) as follows: group A (experimental group) included 50 rats that were randomly selected and placed in the generating device of EMF. All the rats in the experimental group were exposed to EMF with an intensity of 1 mT for 8 hours daily for 2 months. The control group, including 50 randomly selected rats were kept without radiation for 2 months [1, 9]. The EMF device consisted of 2 parts as follows: in the first part, 2 copper coils were replaced at a distance of about 50 cm from each other, and the distance between them was a wooden cylinder that was the location of the tested rats’ cage; the second part of the EMF generator was a transformer that showed the input and output of electricity, voltage, and the current intensity of the generator while making it adjustable. After the end of the eighth week of the experiment (2 months), all 100 rats in the control and experimental groups were killed via the euthanized method, and by moving the neck vertebra and later, kidney, bladder, and urethra samples were taken [10]. At first, the samples were fixed in 10% buffered formalin for light microscope study and tissue passage in the autotechnicon machine. The cutting was done by 5-micron sections with a microtome and the microscopic sections were prepared and stained with hematoxylin and eosin for bladder and ureter and special staining with the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) nick end labeling (TUNEL) kit for the kidney. Next, the following procedure was performed: 1) paraffinization of the tissue sections in pure xylene; 2) placing the paraffinized tissue sections in a microwave with a power of 700 W for 10 minutes; 3) A: incubation of the tissue sections in phosphate buffer, B: incubation of the tissue sections for 60 minutes at 37°C; 4) washing the tissue sections 3 times in phosphate buffer; 5) incubation of tissue sections in antiflourescein-pad for 30 min; 6) washing the tissue sections 3 times in phosphate buffer; 7) staining the tissue sections with diaminobenzidine; and 8) differential staining with hematoxylin staining. Finally, we examined the microscopic observations and related images along with their results [11].
The Mann-Whitney test was used to analyze the data using the SPSS software at a significance level of less than 0.05.
Results
Test Group A: In the bladder and ureter, after tissue staining in terms of observation and the presence of important tissue lesions, such as necrosis, atrophy, the creation of empty spaces, and hyperemia and bleeding, and in the kidney of apoptosis induction, the test group compared to the control group was examined in terms of pathology based on the criteria mentioned in Table 1 [12, 13].
The statistical results of the P in kidney, bladder, and ureter cell lesions were as follows: 1) necrosis: P≤0.05; 2) atrophy: P≤0.05; 3) hyperemia and hemorrhage: P≤0.05; 4) creation of space: P≤0.05; 5) induction of apoptosis: P≤0.05 (Table 2).
The results showed that the effects of EMF waves are significantly related to changes in cell damage from the histopathological point of view and induction of apoptosis in the experimental group compared to the control group.
In the control group, from the observation of a microscopic sample of nephrons, bladder, and ureter in this group along with the examination of epithelial cells, smooth and striated muscles, connective tissue, and endothelial cells of blood vessels was normal and the distance between cells, nucleus, and cytoplasm and their walls was clear and no cell damage was visible (Figure 1).
However, in the experimental group, the results were as follows:
A) In kidney nephrons, to investigate the apoptosis of nephron cells in the kidney, with specific TUNEL staining in the nephron tubules and Henle loop, pale brown nuclei were observed. They all underwent apoptosis induction, and in some parts of the tubes, even the cells in a more advanced state without nuclei were seen, which were necrotic. Meanwhile, in the direct vessels, bleeding was evident in some parts because of the damage to the endothelium membrane (Figure 2).
B) In the covering tissue of the bladder, the creation of empty spaces was associated with the loss of the basal membrane layer under the covering layer and the necrosis of the muscle and covering cells along with the disorder of the bladder tissue (Figure 3 and Figure 4).
The basal layer of the membrane was destroyed under the covering layer and a fusion in the tissue and tissue disorder (between the covering layer and the underlying connective layer). In addition, hyperchromatic nuclei, atrophy and vacuolation, degeneration, and cell necrosis were seen. In the covering cells and the muscle layer under the joint and more advanced state, cellular atrophy and even empty space are created in the muscle tissue, which is accompanied by the pyknosis of the nuclei and in some cases, the creation of spaces in the muscle tissue, which was seen with extensive necrosis (Figure 5 and Figure 6).
C) In terms of the ureter, in the epidermal layer, parts of the basal membrane layer under the epidermal layer were destroyed and atrophy and cell degeneration along with hyperchromatic nuclei and necrosis of the epidermal cells and irregularity was observed. In the underlying layer, the epidermal tissue and empty spaces were created and tissue fusion with interstitial tissue irregularity and underlying tissue, along with their cell atrophy and necrosis, created empty spaces in smooth muscles and cell necrosis were seen (Figure 7).
Discussion
Field ionizing radiation or EMF waves can have destructive effects on the health of humans. The results of the studies conducted in rats from the histopathological point of view showed the following items in the selected sections:
A) In Kidney Tissue: With special TUNEL staining, to observe the rate of apoptosis in the kidney tissue in the cells of the nephron tube and the Henle loop, and so on, with pale brown nuclei in which apoptosis was induced and in parts of the tubes in the central part, all cells were in a more advanced state without nuclei that they had cell degeneration, necrosis, and bleeding in direct vessels in some parts of the tissue.
B) In the Tissue of the Bladder and Ureter: Cell damage includes the following items: the basal layer of the membrane, which is located under the covering layer of the bladder and ureter in the endothelium membrane of the vessels, is damaged and destroyed in some parts, and in the muscle, connective, and covering parts, most of the cells in its different layers undergo degeneration and crushing. Meanwhile, cell necrosis of the tissue can be seen with tissue irregularity and the creation of empty spaces under the covering layer and connective tissue. In research conducted from 1982 to the last decade, the effect of free radicals in tissue damage following exposure to electromagnetic waves has been proven in laboratory models [14-16].
In the conducted studies, the harmful effects of EMF waves on the process of spermatogenesis in rats have been reported, including the study of Erpek et al., which investigated the adverse effects of EMF. They showed the adverse effects of EMF on the reproductive organs of rats and necrosis in different layers of spermatogenesis cells and severe degenerative changes in the seminiferous duct [8]. The research by Kalender et al. showed the destructive effects of EMF waves on the process of spermatogenesis in rats. Erpek’s study showed that electromagnetic waves increase blood flow and vascular hyperemia and finally cell death necrosis by another mechanism, namely by increasing the temperature (hyperthermia). There are also studies conducted in the field of apoptosis induction. The effect of EMF waves on cells is different from the discussion of conductive and non-conductive tissues relative to the permeability of EMF waves. The heat effect mechanism under the influence of EMF waves plays a role in causing apoptosis inside the cells [18, 19]. The second mechanism in the induction of apoptosis includes the effects of EMF waves specifically with the production of H2O2 and free radicals, especially the O radical, which is caused by the energy contained in these waves and its effect on intracellular water and the penetration of these free radicals into DNA and the induction of the P53 gene. As a result, it is the cause of apoptosis induction in the cell. This mechanism is the non-thermal pathway of apoptosis induction [20]. In a report in the bulletin of the World Health Organization, the study of the effects of these fields was recorded. Accordingly, EMF with rease in blood flow and a change in the permeability of the blood barrier layer in the vessels; therefore, hyperemia and tissue edema can be justified in this way [21].
In the studies conducted from the histopathological point of view by Khaki et al. on the issue of the effect of EMF waves on the prostate in the rat from the point of view of light and electron microscopy, in which atrophy and hyperchromatic nuclei and cell necrosis in the secretory cells and muscle layer and the connective tissue of the prostate glands and with the decrease in the thickness of the muscle layer, the loss of the basal layer of the membrane, especially in the blood vessels and bleeding in the prostate tissue was reported [3]. Regarding the effect of EMF waves on the testicular tissue from the light microscope point of view, atrophy and the connective layer of the testicular tissue and hyperchromatic nuclei and their necrosis, the reduction of the thickness of the connective layer and the loss of layers of spermatid cells in the testicular tissue were determined [14]. Khayat et al. conducted a study on the effect of EMF waves on kidney tissue from the perspective of histopathological effects in rats [22]. Turedi et al. conducted a study on the biochemical and pathological changes in the kidney and bladder under the influence of 900 MHz electromagnetic waves on male rats [23]. These two studies reported severe histopathological changes of edema, hyperemia, hemorrhage, and congestion of venous vessels in the main tissue and atrophy of glomeruli and vacuolation and degeneration and necrosis of epithelial cells in renal tubules. In addition, the basal membrane layer in parts around the blood vessel is removed and accompanied by discontinuities in the vascular endothelial cell layers, as well as the creation of empty spaces in the bladder tissue and cell necrosis in the muscle and connective and covering parts of the tissue with tissue irregularity and the creation of empty spaces under the covering and connective layer and muscle and induction of apoptosis in bladder and kidney tissues in rats. The results obtained in the present research are consistent with other studies about the harmful effects of EMF waves in different tissues and cells.
It is suggested to conduct additional and more detailed studies to examine the additional results of the effects of EMF waves and the effects.
Conclusion
EMF waves are high-energy and common waves that can be sporadically present in our daily environment and cause serious damage to cells and vital tissues. Even the results and cellular changes in the microscopic images were undeniably observed in the kidney, bladder, and so on. Accordingly, it is recommended to avoid sources of radiation of these waves as much as possible to maintain health [17-24].
Ethical Considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
The procedures in this study were in accordance with the guidelines for the use of laboratory animals of Islamic Azad University of Tabriz branch and Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.
Funding
This study was funded by Islamic Azad University of Tabriz branch.
Authors' contributions
Conceptualization, supervision and methodology: Shahram Gharachorloo; data collection: Shahram Gharachorloo, and AmirAfshin Khaki; data analysis: Hamid Mirzaei; investigation, writing original draft, review & editing, funding acquisition, and resources: All authors.
Conflicts of interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the deputy for research of Islamic Azad University of Tabriz branch for the financial support.
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Type of Study: Original |
Subject:
Basic Medical Science
Received: 2018/01/9 | Accepted: 2022/04/9 | Published: 2022/03/1
Received: 2018/01/9 | Accepted: 2022/04/9 | Published: 2022/03/1
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