title: In vitro assessment of clastogenicity of mobile-phone radiation (835 MHz) using the alkaline comet assay and chromosomal aberration test.
abstract: Recently we demonstrated that 835-MHz radiofrequency radiation electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) neither affected the reverse mutation frequency nor accelerated DNA degradation in vitro. Here, two kinds of cytogenetic endpoints were further investigated on mammalian cells exposed to 835-MHz RF-EMF (the most widely used communication frequency band in Korean CDMA mobile phone networks) alone and in combination with model clastogens: in vitro alkaline comet assay and in vitro chromosome aberration (CA) test. No direct cytogenetic effect of 835-MHz RF-EMF was found in the in vitro CA test. The combined exposure of the cells to RF-EMF in the presence of ethylmethanesulfonate (EMS) revealed a weak and insignificant cytogenetic effect when compared to cells exposed to EMS alone in CA test. Also, the comet assay results to evaluate the ability of RF-EMF alone to damage DNA were nearly negative, although showing a small increase in tail moment. However, the applied RF-EMF had potentiation effect in comet assay when administered in combination with model clastogens (cyclophosphamide or 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide). Thus, our results imply that we cannot confidently exclude any possibility of an increased risk of genetic damage, with important implications for the possible health effects of exposure to 835-MHz electromagnetic fields.
authors.affiliation: The Korea Institute of Toxicology, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, P.O. Box 123, Yusong, Daejeon 305-600, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sae-Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Young-Mi
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shin-Ae
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Woo Suk
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Joong-Rak
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Taeho
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Sung-Keun
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D040421:Cell Phone; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D020552:Comet Assay; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D051379:Mice