Background and Aims: The purpose of this research was to ascertain how exposure to extremely low frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields (ELF-PEMFs) at varying intensities affects apoptosis-related protein expression levels and liver morphology in rats.
Material and Methods: In this experimental study, 40 Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, with 10 animals in each group: Control, Sham, 1 milli Tesla (1mT) and 5 mT groups. Control group did not expose to any application during the experiment. Animals in the sham group were placed into the closed ELF-PEMF exposure environment, but the device was kept closed. The rats in 1mT and 5mT were placed into closed ELF-PEMF exposure environment and magnetic field application was applied 5 days a week and 4 hours a day for 8 weeks. At the end of the study, the animals were sacrificed, and their liver tissues were examined morphologically, and the expression levels of proteins related to apoptosis and inflammation in these tissues.
Results: Our results indicated that ELF-PEMFs did not led any exact morphological alterations in the groups. Tissue apoptotic Bax and Caspase 3 expression levels in 1mT and 5mT groups were similar (p>0.05) to control group. Additionally, pro-inflammatory TNF-α, and transcription factor NF-κB in 1mT and 5mT groups were similar (p>0.05) to each other and control group.
Conclusion: It is feasible to conclude that neither the administration nor the exposure design of this study is changing the immunoexpression of apoptosis regulating protein expression levels or liver morphology exposed to ELF-PEMF in rats.