title: Continuous exposure to 60 Hz magnetic fields induces duration- and dose-dependent apoptosis of testicular germ cells.
abstract: To evaluate duration- and dose-dependent effects of continuous exposure to a 60 Hz magnetic field (MF) on the testes in mice, BALB/c male mice were exposed to a 60 Hz MF at 100 μT for 24 h a day for 2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks, and at 2, 20, or 200 μT for 24 h a day for 8 weeks. Any exposures to MF did not significantly affect body or testicular masses. However, the apoptotic cells among testicular germ cells were increased duration-dependent at exposures of 100 μT for 6 and 8 weeks and dose-dependent at exposures of 20 and 200 μT for 8 weeks. The number of sperm in epididymis and the diameter of seminiferous tubule decreased in mice exposed to 100 and 200 μT for 8 weeks, respectively. To induce the apoptosis of testicular germ cell in mice, the minimum dose is 20 μT at continuous exposure to a 60 Hz MF for 8 weeks and the minimum duration is 6 weeks at continuous exposure of 100 μT. Taken together, these results suggest that continuous exposure to a 60 Hz MF might affect, duration- and dose-dependent biological processes including apoptotic cell death and spermatogenesis in the male reproductive system of mice.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Science, School of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hee-Sung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Byung-Jae
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hye-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Nagesh S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Ipper
authors.forename: Seung-Han
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Kwang-Soo
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang-Kon
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Nam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.forename: Yoon-Myoung
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Gimm
authors.forename: Yoon-Won
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004822:Epididymis / Q000166:cytology; D060526:Magnetic Fields; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013076:Sperm Count; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: 60 Hz; apoptosis; magnetic field; seminiferous tubule; sperm; testicular germ cell