• experimental
  
• epidemiological
  

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Medical/biological Study (experimental study)

Effects of cellular phone emissions on sperm motility in rats. med./biol.

PubMed Entry

Journal web site

Aim of study (according to author)
To study the effects of mobile phone emissions on rat sperm cells.
Background/further details:
Eight rats were exposed to two 3-hour periods of daily mobile phone emissions for 18 weeks; sperm samples were then collected. The sham exposure group also consisted of eight rats.

Endpoint

• effects on reproductive ability: sperm motility

Exposure
General category: analog mobile phone, digital mobile phone, PCS, CDMA

Field characteristics	Parameters
1.9 GHz exposure duration: repeated daily exposure, 2 x 3 h/day, for 18 weeks	SAR: 1.8 W/kg (AMPS) SAR: 0.9 W/kg (CELL) SAR: 1.18 W/kg (PCS)

Exposed system:
animal (species/strain): rat/Sprague-Dawley
partial body exposure: head

Methods
Endpoint/Measurement parameters/Methodology

• molecular biosynthesis: mRNA levels for two cell surface adhesion proteins (cadherin-1; interstitial cell adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1); RT-PCR)
• effects on reproductive ability: sperm motility; sperm morphology; total sperm number
• thermoregulation: mean facial surface temperature and rectal temperature

Main outcome of study (according to author)
No significant differences were found in the number of structural sperm mutations between the experimental and the control groups. The total sperm counts from the testes also were not significantly different between the two groups. However, the relative sperm motility and appearance of the sperm from the epididymis in the exposure group differed from those of the control group. The most striking abnormalities in the exposure group were significantly fewer motile sperm cells and numerous clumps of sperm cells.
In the experimental group, an up-regulation was found in the mRNA levels of the two cell surface adhesion proteins, which would create abnormal adhesion of the sperm cells.
After 3 hours of exposure, mean face temperature of the experimental group did not differ from that of the control group. The rectal temperatures of both groups were identical, even after 6 hours of exposure.
These findings suggest that carrying cell phones near reproductive organs could negatively affect male fertility.

(Study character: medical/biological study, experimental study, full/main study, blind study)

Study funded by

• not stated

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