In vitro effect of cell phone radiation on motility, DNA fragmentation and clusterin gene expression in human sperm.
BACKGROUND
Use of cellular phones emitting radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) has been increased exponentially and become a part of everyday life. This study aimed to investigate the effects of in vitro RF-EMF exposure emitted from cellular phones on sperm motility index, sperm DNA fragmentation and seminal clusterin (CLU) gene expression.


METHODS
In this prospective study, a total of 124 semen samples were grouped into the following main categories: i. normozoospermia (N, n=26), ii. asthenozoospermia (A, n=32), iii. asthenoteratozoospermia (AT, n=31) and iv. oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT, n=35). The same semen samples were then divided into two portions non-exposed and exposed samples to cell phone radiation for 1 hour. Before and immediately after exposure, both aliquots were subjected to different assessments for sperm motility, acrosin activity, sperm DNA fragmentation and CLU gene expression. Statistical differences were analyzed using paired t student test for comparisons between two sub-groups where p<0.05 was set as significant.


RESULTS
There was a significant decrease in sperm motility, sperm linear velocity, sperm linearity index, and sperm acrosin activity, whereas there was a significant increase in sperm DNA fragmentation percent, CLU gene expression and CLU protein levels in the exposed semen samples to RF-EMF compared with non-exposed samples in OAT>AT>A>N groups, respectively (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Cell phone emissions have a negative impact on exposed sperm motility index, sperm acrosin activity, sperm DNA fragmentation and seminal CLU gene expression, especially in OAT cases.
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
Adel
A
Zalata
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
Ayman Z
AZ
El-Samanoudy
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
Dalia
D
Shaalan
Department of Dermatology and Andrology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
Youssef
Y
El-Baiomy
Department of Andrology and Sexology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Taymour
T
Mostafa
Cell Phone; Electromagnetic Radiation; Sperm Motility; Spermatozoa