Journal of Translational Medical Research

Background and Aim: Increased electrical tools, communicating systems and extending network of electrical power distribution has caused increased growth of electromagnetic field in today’s life. Regarding reports indicating side-effects of electromagnetic fields on living organisms, in present research due to the lack of complete report the effect of these fields on the female reproductive system during estrus cycle was taken into account.
Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 32 female rats were divided into 4 equal groups including: case group 1(MF1) to be located for a 5 day period in 43 gauses (4.3 mT) and 50 Hz frequency field, control group 1(C1) for a 5 day period in an off-field ,case group 2(MF2) for a 10 day period in an electromagnetic field as case group 1, and control group 2 (C2) for a 10 dayperiod in an off-field. All animals were in diestrus phase, when locating in the field. After the end of exposing time, rats were anesthetized, blood sample was collected from dorsal aorta, and the amount of FSH and LH were measured by a radioimmunoassay technique. Also, estrogen and progesterone concentrations were measured. Then ovaries were extracted and 5 micrometer longitudinal serial sections were prepared. Sections were stained with hematoxyline-eosin method. In each section, the highest diameter of follicles and corpus luteum were measured. Results were statistically analyzed by Mann-Whitney-U- test considering significant level at P≤0.05.
Results: There were no statistical significant differences between concentrations of estrogen, progesterone, FSH, LH and diameter of different ovarian follicles in the five and ten day control and experimental groups but the diameter of corpus luteum in MF1, and C1 and diameter of secondary follicles in the left ovary in MF1, compared with MF2, had decreased.
Conclusion: Exposure to electromagnetic field is not necessarily associated with negative effects in a living organism; and-with respect to biologic condition of the cell under study-tissue adduction, the radius of the surface through which the current is passing through can have an inhibitory or activating role.