Turkish Neurosurgery 2013 , Vol 23 , Num 6
The Effect of Electromagnetic Radiation on the Rat Brain: An Experimental Study
Olcay ESER1, Ahmet SONGUR2, Cevat AKTAS3, Ergun KARAVELIOGLU4, Veli CAGLAR2, Firdevs AYLAK5, Fehmi OZGUNER6, Mehmet KANTER7
1Afyon Kocatepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
2Afyon Kocatepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
3Namik Kemal University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Tekirdag, Turkey
4Bolvadin Dr. H.I.Ozsoy State Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
5Suleyman Demirel University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Isparta, Turkey
6Suleyman Demirel University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Isparta, Turkey
7Istanbul Medeniyet University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Istanbul, Turkey
DOI : 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.7088-12.2 AIM: The aim of this study is to determine the structural changes of electromagnetic waves in the frontal cortex, brain stem and cerebellum.

MATERIAL and METHODS: 24 Wistar Albino adult male rats were randomly divided into four groups: group I consisted of control rats, and groups II-IV comprised electromagnetically irradiated (EMR) with 900, 1800 and 2450 MHz. The heads of the rats were exposed to 900, 1800 and 2450 MHz microwaves irradiation for 1h per day for 2 months.

RESULTS: While the histopathological changes in the frontal cortex and brain stem were normal in the control group, there were severe degenerative changes, shrunken cytoplasm and extensively dark pyknotic nuclei in the EMR groups. Biochemical analysis demonstrated that the Total Antioxidative Capacity level was significantly decreased in the EMR groups and also Total Oxidative Capacity and Oxidative Stress Index levels were significantly increased in the frontal cortex, brain stem and cerebellum. IL-1β level was significantly increased in the EMR groups in the brain stem.

CONCLUSION: EMR causes to structural changes in the frontal cortex, brain stem and cerebellum and impair the oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokine system. This deterioration can cause to disease including loss of these areas function and cancer development. Keywords : Electromagnetic waves, Brain tissue, Oxidative stress, Active caspase-3

Corresponding author : Olcay Eser, drolcayeser@hotmail.com