The effects of a continuous 1-h a day 900-MHz electromagnetic field applied throughout early and mid-adolescence on hippocampus morphology and learning behavior in late adolescent male rats

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate hippocampus morphology and changes in learning behavior in male rats in late adolescence exposed to the effect of a continuous 1-h a day 900-megahertz (MHz) electromagnetic field (EMF). Twenty-four male Sprague Dawley rats aged 3-weeks were divided equally into control, sham and EMF groups. EMF group rats were exposed to a 900-MHz EMF inside an EMF cage, while the sham group rats were placed in the same cage but were not exposed to such an effect. No procedure was performed on the control group. Following 25-day application of EMF, passive avoidance, 8-arm radial maze and Y-maze tests were applied to determine rats' learning and memory performances. Open field and rotarod tests were applied to assess locomotor activity. At the end of the tests, the animals' brains were removed. Sections were taken and stained with toluidine blue. The regions of the hippocampus were subjected to histopathological evaluation. At histopathological examination, impairments of pyramidal and granular cell structures were observed in the EMF group hippocampus. No significant change was observed in learning, memory or locomotor behavior in any group. In conclusion, 900-MHz EMF applied in early and mid-adolescence causes no changes in learning, memory or locomotor behavior.