The effects of prenatal long-duration exposure to 900-MHz electromagnetic field on the 21-day-old newborn male rat liver

Background/aim: To determine what effect a 900-MHz electromagnetic field (EMF) applied in the prenatal period would have on the liver in the postnatal period. Materials and methods: At the start of the study, adult pregnant rats were divided into two groups, control and experimental. The experimental group was exposed to a 900-MHz EMF for 1 h daily during days 13–21 of pregnancy. After birth, no procedure was performed on either mothers or pups. Male rat pups (n = 6) from the control group mothers (CGMR) and male rat pups (n = 6) from the experimental group mothers (EGMR) were sacrificed on postnatal day 21. Results: Biochemical analyses showed that malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase values increased and glutathione levels decreased in the EGMR pups. Marked hydropic degeneration in the parenchyma, particularly in pericentral regions, was observed in light microscopic examination of EGMR sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Examinations under transmission electron microscope revealed vacuolization in the mitochondria, expansion in the endoplasmic reticulum, and necrotic hepatocytes. Conclusion: The study results show that a 900-MHz EMF applied in the prenatal period caused oxidative stress and pathological alterations in the liver in the postnatal period.