Effect of GSM-900 and -1800 signals on the skin of hairless rats. III: Expression of heat shock proteins.
OBJECTIVE
We previously reported the inability of Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) signals at 900 (GSM-900) and 1800 (GSM-1800) MegaHertz (MHz) to induce morphological and physiological changes in epidermis of Hairless rats. The present work aimed at investigating heat shock proteins (HSP) expression--as a cellular stress marker--in the skin of Hairless rats exposed to GSM-900 and -1800 signals.


METHODS
We studied the expression of the Heat-shock cognate (Hsc) 70, and the inducible forms of the Heat-shock proteins (Hsp) 25 and 70. Rat skin was locally exposed using loop antenna and restrain rockets to test several Specific Absorption Rates (SAR) and exposure durations: (i) single exposure: 2 hours at 0 and 5 W/kg; (ii) repeated exposure: 2 hours per day, 5 days per week, for 12 weeks, at 0, 2.5, and 5 W/kg. HSP expression was detected on skin slices using immunolabeling in the epidermal area.


RESULTS
Our data indicated that neither single nor repeated exposures altered HSP expression in rat skin, irrespective of the GSM signal or SAR considered.


CONCLUSIONS
Under our experimental conditions (local SAR < 5 W/kg), there was no evidence that GSM signals alter HSP expression in rat skin.
Sanchez
Sandrine
S
University of Bordeaux 1, IMS, ENSCPB, Bioelectromagnetics Group, Pessac, France. sandrinesanchez@free.fr
Masuda
Hiroshi
H
Ruffié
Gilles
G
De Gannes
Florence Poulletier
FP
Billaudel
Bernard
B
Haro
Emmanuelle
E
Lévêque
Philippe
P
Lagroye
Isabelle
I
Veyret
Bernard
B
D000818:Animals; D004817:Epidermis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D050883:HSC70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011846:Radio Waves / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051381:Rats; D054772:Rats, Hairless; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*
D050883:HSC70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; C494373:Hspa8 protein, rat; C486114:Hspb1 protein, rat; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins