1. Effects of chronic exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on energy balance in developing rats
- Author
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Pauline Decima, René de Seze, Nathalie Loos, György Thuróczy, Stéphane Delanaud, Amandine Pelletier, Jean-Pierre Libert, Mattheo Cerri, Véronique Bach, Périnatalité et Risques Toxiques - UMR INERIS_I 1 (PERITOX), Université de Picardie Jules Verne (UPJV)-CHU Amiens-Picardie-Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques, Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques (INERIS), Institut de Physiologie Humaine, Université de Bologne, A. Pelletier, S. Delanaud, P. Décima, G. Thuroczy, R. de Seze, M.Cerri, V.Bach, J.P.Libert, and N. Loos
- Subjects
FEEDING BEHAVIOUR ,Male ,Tail ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Aging ,Time Factors ,animal structures ,Radio Waves ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Vasodilator Agents ,THERMOREGULATION ,Energy balance ,Rapid eye movement sleep ,RADIOFREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS ,YOUNG RAT ,Biology ,Energy homeostasis ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Electromagnetic Fields ,Internal medicine ,Prazosin ,medicine ,Environmental Chemistry ,Animals ,Rats, Wistar ,030304 developmental biology ,2. Zero hunger ,0303 health sciences ,Sleep Stages ,Temperature ,General Medicine ,Thermoregulation ,Pollution ,Sleep in non-human animals ,SLEEP ,Rats ,Endocrinology ,Vasoconstriction ,[SDV.TOX]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology ,[SDE]Environmental Sciences ,medicine.symptom ,RADIOFREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,FEEDING BEHAVIOR ,medicine.drug ,Body Temperature Regulation - Abstract
International audience; The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) on the control of body energy balance in developing organisms have not been studied, despite the involvement of energy status in vital physiological functions. We examined the effects of chronic RF-EMF exposure (900 MHz, 1 Vm-1) on the main functions involved in body energy homeostasis (feeding behaviour, sleep and thermoregulatory processes). Thirteen juvenile male Wistar rats were exposed to continuous RF-EMF for 5 weeks at 24 °C of air temperature (Ta) and compared with 11 non-exposed animals. Hence, at the beginning of the 6th week of exposure, the functions were recorded at Ta of 24 °C and then at 31 °C. We showed that the frequency of rapid eye movement sleep episodes was greater in the RF-EMF-exposed group, independently of Ta (+42.1 % at 24 °C and +31.6 % at 31 °C). The other effects of RF-EMF exposure on several sleep parameters were dependent on Ta. At 31 °C, RF-EMF-exposed animals had a significantly lower subcutaneous tail temperature (-1.21 °C) than controls at all sleep stages; this suggested peripheral vasoconstriction, which was confirmed in an experiment with the vasodilatator prazosin. Exposure to RFEMF also increased daytime food intake (+0.22 gh-1). Most of the observed effects of RF-EMF exposure were dependent on Ta. Exposure to RF-EMF appears to modify the functioning of vasomotor tone by acting peripherally through a- adrenoceptors. The elicited vasoconstriction may restrict body cooling, whereas energy intake increases. Our results show that RF-EMF exposure can induce energy-saving processes without strongly disturbing the overall sleep pattern.
- Published
- 2013