Abstract

Overview

The study investigated the effects of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) on the expression of specific genes in rats. Highlighting the importance of EMF exposure levels, this research has implications for understanding how environmental factors influence genetic regulation.

• Focus on transcription factors: c-Maf, STAT6, RORα
• Subjects: 80 adult male rats
• Duration and conditions: Exposure to varying magnetic flux densities (1, 100, 500, 2000 µT) at 50 Hz, 2 hours daily for 60 days
• Method: Immunization on days 31, 44, and 58 during the exposure period

Findings

The impact of ELF-EMFs on gene expression was measured in the spleen and thymus of rats. The experiment demonstrated that:

• In the thymus, the expression levels of c-Maf, STAT6, and RORα were not significantly changed across different densities.
• In the spleen, significant downregulation was observed:
• c-Maf and RORα expressions decreased at 1 and 100 µT
• STAT6 expression notably declined at 100 µT

Conclusions

Results suggest that lower magnetic flux densities of ELF-EMFs can reduce the expression levels of crucial genes related to immune function and development in spleen tissue. This underpins the importance of continued research into the health impacts of electromagnetic exposure in living organisms.