Long-term exposure to 4G smartphone radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation diminished male reproductive potential by directly disrupting Spock3–MMP2-BTB axis in the testes of adult rats

Gang Yu, Zeping Tang, Hui Chen, Zhiyuan Chen, Lei Wang, Hui Cao, Gang Wang, Jiansheng Xing, Haotao Shen, Qing Cheng, Donghui Li, Guoren Wang, Yang Xiang, Yupeng Guan, Yabing Zhu, Zhenxiang Liu, Zhiming Bai,
Long-term exposure to 4G smartphone radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation diminished male reproductive potential by directly disrupting Spock3–MMP2-BTB axis in the testes of adult rats, Science of The Total Environment,
Volume 698, 2020, 133860, ISSN 0048-9697,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133860.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969719338082)

Abstract

The correlation between long-term exposure to SRF-EMR and the decline in male fertility is gradually receiving increasing attention from the medical society. While male reproductive organs are often exposed to SRF-EMR, little is currently known about the direct effects of long-term SRF-EMR exposure on the testes and its involvement in the suppression of male reproductive potential. The present study was designed to investigate this issue by using 4G SRF-EMR in rats. A unique exposure model using a 4G smartphone achieved localized exposure to the scrotum of the rats for 6 h each day (the smartphone was kept on active talk mode and received an external call for 1 min over 10 min intervals). Results showed that SRF-EMR exposure for 150 days decreased sperm quality and pup weight, accompanied by testicular injury. However, these adverse effects were not evident in rats exposed to SRF-EMR for 50 days or 100 days. Sequencing analysis and western blotting suggested Spock3 overexpression in the testes of rats exposed to SRF-EMR for 150 days. Inhibition of Spock3 overexpression improved sperm quality decline and alleviated testicular injury and BTB disorder in the exposed rats. Additionally, SRF-EMR exposure suppressed MMP2 activity, while increasing the activity of the MMP14–Spock3 complexes and decreasing MMP14–MMP2 complexes; these results were reversed by Spock3 inhibition. Thus, long-term exposure to 4G SRF-EMR diminished male fertility by directly disrupting the Spock3–MMP2–BTB axis in the testes of adult rats. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show direct toxicity of SRF-EMR on the testes emerging after long-term exposure.

From the discussion:

men are advised to keep smartphones away from their testes to avoid potential adverse effects of this neglected low-energy radiation. Given the limitations of this study, additional studies on SRF-EMR with increased exposure duration and different working models of smartphones should be conducted to further confirm the current conclusion along with investigating additional reproductive effects of SRF-EMR. Furthermore, SRF-EMR belongs to RF-EMR, which is emitted by other sources common in daily life such as phone towers and electric substations. Now that the adverse effects of long-term SRF-EMR exposure have been presented, future studies should pay more attention to the long-term health effects of other RF-EMRs with higher energy. These health effects may prove more important in the upcoming 5G era, when more RF-EMRs would be brought into our daily life.”

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