title: Effects of 60 Hz electromagnetic field exposure on testicular germ cell apoptosis in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of 60 Hz extremely low frequency (ELF) elelctromagnetic field (EMF) exposure on germ cell apoptosis in the testis of mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult male BALB/c mice (7 weeks of age) were exposed to a 60 Hz EMF of 0.1 mT or 0.5 mT for 24 h/day. A sham-exposed group served as the control. After 8 weeks of exposure, the mice were sacrificed. Germ cell apoptosis in the testis was assessed by histopathological examination, the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling assay (TUNEL) and flow cytometric examination of isolated spermatogenic cells stained with 7 aminoactinomycin D (7-AAD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  EMF exposure did not significantly affect the body and testis weights, but significantly increased the incidence of germ cell death. The distinguishing morphological feature of EMF exposure was a decrement in the number of well organized seminiferous tubules. Quantitative analysis of TUNEL-positive germ cells showed a significantly higher apoptotic rate in the 0.5 mT exposed mice than that in the sham controls (P<0.05), while the difference between the two exposed groups was insignificant. The TUNEL-positive cells were mainly spermatogonia. In flow cytometry analysis, the percentage of live cells [forward scatter count (FSC)(high)7-AAD(-)] was lower in the exposed groups than that in the controls (Figure 5A), but the decrease in viability was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Continuous exposure to ELF EMF may induce testicular germ cell apoptosis in mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Science, Hallym University, School of Medicine, Chunchon 200-060, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Sang
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang Seok
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Kyeong Cheon
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Yoon-Won
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang Kon
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001835:Body Weight; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009929:Organ Size; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology*