Indication of cocarcinogenic potential of chronic UMTS-modulated radiofrequency exposure in an ethylnitrosourea mouse model.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate putative effects on tumour susceptibility in mice exposed to a UMTS (universal mobile telecommunications system) test signal for up to 24 months, commencing with embryo-fetal exposure.


METHODS
Animals were exposed to UMTS fields with intensities of 0, 4.8, and 48 W/m(2), the low-dose group (4.8 W/m(2)) was subjected to additional prenatal ethylnitrosourea treatment (40 mg ENU/kg body weight).


RESULTS
The high-level UMTS exposure (48 W/m(2)), the sham exposure, and the cage control groups showed comparable tumour incidences in the protocol organs. In contrast, the ENU-treated group UMTS-exposed at 4.8 W/m(2) displayed an enhanced lung tumour rate and an increased incidence of lung carcinomas as compared to the controls treated with ENU only. Furthermore, tumour multiplicity of the lung carcinomas was increased and the number of metastasising lung tumours was doubled in the ENU/UMTS group as compared to the ENU control group.


CONCLUSIONS
This pilot study indicates a cocarcinogenic effect of lifelong UMTS exposure (4.8 W/m(2)) in female B6C3F1 descendants subjected to pretreatment with ethylnitrosourea.
Tillmann
Thomas
T
Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Hannover, Germany. Tillmann@item.fraunhofer.de
Ernst
Heinrich
H
Streckert
Joachim
J
Zhou
Yi
Y
Taugner
Felicitas
F
Hansen
Volkert
V
Dasenbrock
Clemens
C
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D040421:Cell Phone; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005038:Ethylnitrosourea / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000196:embryology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D013997:Time Factors
D005038:Ethylnitrosourea