Extremely low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields induce apoptotic, oxidative stress, inflammatory and aquaporin-related kidney alteration

Abstract

Extremely low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields are used as a biotherapy method in various medical and experimental applications. However, the cellular effects of prolonged or intense exposure remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of two different ELF-PEMF doses on kidney tissue over an 8 week period, investigating oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, and aquaporin expression using biochemical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical methods. Forty male rats were assigned to control, sham, 1 mT, and 5 mT groups; the 1 mT and 5 mT groups were exposed to ELF-PEMF for four hours daily for eight weeks, while controls received no intervention. At the end of the experiment, kidney tissues were collected for histopathological (H&E and PAS), immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses. In kidney tissue exposed to ELF-PEMF, hyperemia, tubular degeneration, and proteinaceous casts were observed. 1 mT and 5 mT ELF-PEMF exposure increased BAX, Caspase-9, and TNF-alpha immunoreactivity compared to the control and sham groups, while no change was observed in BCL-2 expression. 5 mT group exposure to ELF-PEMF increased AQP3 expression, a critical water channel in cellular H2O2 permeability (p < 0.05). AQP5 expression was significantly increased in both the 1 mT and 5 mT groups compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Biochemical analyses showed that oxidative stress levels were significantly increased in both the 1 mT and 5 mT groups compared to the control group (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that, despite its recent use for its therapeutic properties, long-term exposure to ELF-PEMF may cause oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation in renal tissue and alter the histological structure and cellular homeostasis. [GRAPHICS] .