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Male Reproductive and Cellular Damage After Prenatal 3.5 GHz Radiation Exposure: One-Year Postnatal Effects
Elif Gelenli Dolanbay1, Tugay Mert1, Gozde Caliskan Bender1
1Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|October 23, 2025
Summary
Prenatal exposure to 3.5 GHz radiofrequency radiation (RFR) harms male rat reproductive health long-term. This exposure caused testicular damage, reduced sperm quality, and increased DNA damage, autophagy, and apoptosis in adult offspring.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Toxicology
- Environmental Health
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Growing use of wireless devices raises concerns about radiofrequency radiation (RFR) exposure.
- Understanding the long-term reproductive health impacts of prenatal RFR exposure is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the persistent effects of prenatal 3.5 GHz RFR exposure on male reproductive health in adult rats.
- To assess testicular histology, sperm parameters, DNA damage, and cellular stress markers.
Main Methods:
- Pregnant Wistar Hannover rats were exposed to 3.5 GHz RFR during full or late gestation.
- Male offspring were analyzed at 12 months for testicular morphology, Johnsen scores, sperm abnormalities, γ-H2AX foci, Beclin-1 expression, and apoptosis.
- Holm-Bonferroni correction was applied for multiple comparisons.
Main Results:
- Prenatal RFR exposure significantly reduced seminiferous tubule diameter and epithelial height in adult male rats.
- Abnormal sperm morphology and DNA damage (γ-H2AX, TUNEL) were significantly increased in RFR-exposed groups.
- Autophagy (Beclin-1) and apoptosis were significantly elevated, indicating persistent cellular stress and damage.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal exposure to 3.5 GHz RFR induces long-lasting testicular damage and impairs spermatogenesis in male rats.
- RFR exposure during gestation leads to increased DNA damage, autophagy, and apoptosis, with lasting reproductive health consequences.
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