Effects of millimeter wave radiation on thereproductive system of male mice

Abstract

To investigate the detrimental effect of millimeter wave radiation on the reproductive system of male mice, millimeter waves with a frequency of 34.5 GHz and a power density of 10 mW/cm2 were used as radiation sources. Eight-week-old BALB/c male mice were irradiated for 2 h daily for 9 weeks in a fixed position. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of tissue sections was performed weekly during radiation to detect testicular histomorphology in mice. In situ terminal transferase labeling staining was performed weekly to detect testicular apoptosis at weeks 4 to 9 of radiation. Evans blue was injected into the tail vein of each mouse to detect blood-testis barrier damage. Computer-assisted sperm analysis was used to detect epididymal sperm motility. The results showed that there were no abnormalities in all indices of the mice within 4 weeks of exposure. From week 5 of exposure, testicular injury occurred in the irradiated mice and primarily manifested as disorganized spermatogenic epithelium, increased apoptosis, disruption of the blood-testis barrier, and decreased sperm count and motility. The injury was aggravated with further irradiation time. The data suggest that long-term millimeter wave radiation causes reproductive damage in male mice, with a time-effect relationship between the damage and radiation.

Keywords

• millimeter wave radiation
• male reproduction
• testis
• apoptosis
• sperm