Effects of microwaves (950 MHZ mobile phone) on morphometric and apoptotic changes of rabbit epididymis

The effect of mobile phone radiation on human reproduction system is still a matter of debate. In this study, 18 male rabbits were randomly divided into two experimental groups and one control group. Experimental groups received simulated microwaves with the frequency of 950 MHz and the output power of 3 and 6 watts for 2 weeks, 2 h a day. After a week of rest, the microscopic slides from the quada of the excised epididymis were prepared. Then, the diameter of epididymis, the height of epithelium and the number of apoptotic cells in epithelium in study groups were determined. The data were compared using spss software and one-way anova test. The epithelial height and diameter of the epididymis in 3 watt and 6 watt groups had a significant decrease compared to the control group (P < 0.001), while the testosterone level only in 6 watt group was significantly decreased compared to control group. The rate of apoptosis in the epithelial cells of the epididymis had a significant increase only in 6 watt group compared to the control group (P < 0.001). This study showed that the microwaves with the frequency of 950 MHz can have negative impacts on morphometric and apoptotic changes of rabbit epididymis.