Exploring the Effect of Chronic Exposure to Radio-Frequency Electromagnetic Radiation on Neurotransmitters and Acetylcholinesterase activity in rat Brain

Abstract

Today there is an upsurge in the public and media concern about the potential health risk of radiofrequency field exposure. Interaction of radio frequency electromagnetic radiation with the brain is a precarious apprehension in our society. The current study was aimed to evaluate the possible implications on neurotransmitter and AChE activity levels on exposure to radio frequency-electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) in male rats at 900 MHz and 1800 MHz frequencies for 2 h per day for 3 months. Wistar rats were categorised into three groups (n=6) viz., sham exposure, exposure to 1800 MHz and exposure to 900 MHz. At the end of the study alterations in neurotransmitters level and histopathology of brain were analysed. The brain level of dopamine, nor-adrenaline, GABA and AChE enzyme activity was found to be significantly lowered. Histopathological findings of brain showed a marked congestion of the cerebral blood vessels and few of the pyramidal cells and neuroglial cells show degenerative changes with mild inflammatory infiltration. Thus, our results suggest that exposure to RF-EMR certainly causesinhibition of AChE activity, alteration in brain transmitter levels and changes in the architecture of brain parenchymal tissue.