title: Effects of subchronic exposure to radio frequency from a conventional cellular telephone on testicular function in adult rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the effects of subchronic exposure to radio frequency emitted from a conventional cellular telephone on the testicular function in adult rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 16 male Wistar rats at age 30 days were randomly divided into 2 groups, including experimental and control groups. The experimental group was exposed to radio frequency emitted from a conventional GSM (global system for mobile communications) cellular telephone (1,835 to 1,850 MHz) for 1 hour daily during 11 weeks. Rectal temperature was measured before and after the exposure period. Testicular and epididymal weight, lipid peroxidation levels in these organs, serum total testosterone and the epididymal sperm count were evaluated. Maturation phase spermatid retention at stage IX-X, interstitial infiltration, cellular vacuolation and multinucleate giant cells were among the qualitative testicular histopathological end points analyzed. Each rat had 10 consecutive round seminiferous tubules at stage VII-VIII evaluated for the mean seminiferous tubular diameter measurement, the crude histological count of round spermatids, pachytene spermatocytes and Sertoli's cells with evident nucleoli, and the true histological count (Abercrombie's correction factor) of round spermatids and pachytene spermatocytes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean rectal temperature did not alter following exposure. There was no statistical difference between the control and experimental groups in any end points evaluated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study shows that the low intensity pulsed radio frequency emitted by a conventional cellular telephone does not impair testicular function in adult rats.
authors.affiliation: Urology Division, Surgery Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. epribeiro@gmail.com
authors.forename: Eduardo Porto
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Ernani Luis
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Rhoden
authors.forename: Marilise Mesquita
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Horn
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rhoden
authors.forename: Lucas Pereira
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Toniolo
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D040421:Cell Phone; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013737:Testis / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*