Exposure to Electromagnetic Field during Gestation Adversely Affects the Electrophysiological Properties of Purkinje Cells in Rat Offspring

• Main Authors: M Haghani, V Pouladvand, S M J Mortazavi, M Razavinasab, M Bayat, M Shabani
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shiraz University of Medical Sciences 2020-08-01
• Series: Journal of Biomedical Physics and Engineering
• Subjects: electrophysiological properties; cell phone; purkinje cells; prenatal injuries
• Online Access: https://jbpe.sums.ac.ir/article_44626_988d8ff7cfdbad66e1698d4b9825cf3b.pdf
• ISSN: 2251-7200; 2251-7200

Background: Prenatal adverse effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) exposure on nervous system are an issue of major concern.<br />Objective: Thus, in this study we evaluated the membrane current flow properties of Purkinje neurons after maternal exposure to 900 MHz pulsed RF-EMF.<br />Material and Methods: In this experimental study, during all days of pregnancy, rats in the EMF-exposed group were exposed to 900 MHz pulsed-EMF radiation for 6 h per day. The effects of RF-EMF exposure on the electrophysiological properties of the Purkinje cerebellum neurons from male pups were evaluated by whole-cell patch clamp recordings in current and voltage clamp modes. In voltage-clamp experiments, the holding potential was -60 mV, and a depolarizing voltage step (1000 ms duration) was applied from -60 to +50 mV in 10 mV increments at 2s intervals. <br />Results: The exposure group demonstrated reduced spontaneous firing associated with upward and rightward shift in I/V curve compared to the control rats. Moreover, the peak amplitude of the current for the exposure pups also revealed a significant decrement. The reversal potential was +40 mV and +20 mV for the control and RF-EMF groups, respectively and showed significant differences between the two groups. <br />Conclusion: The decrease in ion’s conductance could be attributed to the observed decrease in the voltage onset of the inward current, peak amplitude and voltage shift.