Some non neoplastic effects of ELF magnetic fields in experimental animals

This study has been addressed to the non neoplastic effects observed in experimental animals exposed to the ELF magnetic fields exposure, giving particular attention to the large and comprehensive data of the two-year NTP (National Toxicology Program) studies. The statistical analysis of non neoplastic incidences, whenever not presented by the study authors, has been carried out in the present study. Only the effects coherently emerging for both the animal genders have been considered; gender specific effects have obviously been separately analysed. The trend analysis has been carried out over the 4 exposure levels (0, 2, 200 microT, and 1000 microT -microTesla) and on the first 3 ones. For 28 dose-response relationships, non neoplastic effects significantly emerged (6 for hyperplasia, 4 for cyst, 4 for inflammation, 3 for focus, 3 for atrophy, 2 for cellular infiltration, and 1 for each of other 6 effects). This number is much higher than the one of neoplastic effects indicated by the NTP as significant. For many of these dose-response relationships, the trend was significant only over the first 3 treatment levels (excluding the highest one, 1000 microT/1 mT), in agreement with the results of some other studies indicating a response reduction, or even a possible anticarcinogenic effects, at considerably high exposures (mT range). The obtained results suggest a complex effect modulation pattern.