News for Iran

Vitamin C protects Liver enzymes & metalbolism from Wi-Fi exposure
Iran Created: 29 Nov 2015
Evaluation of the Protective Role of Vitamin C on the Metabolic and Enzymatic Activities of the Liver in the Male Rats After Exposure to 2,45 GHz Of Wi-Fi Routers.

Abstract

Background:
Today, the use of devices emitted microwave radiation such as mobile phones, Wi-Fi routers, etc. is increased rapidly. It has caused a great concern about the health effects of EMFs. Therefore should attempt to fully understand different aspects of the health effects of EMF exposure.In this study evaluate the protective role of Vitamin C on the metabolic and enzymatic activities of the liver in the male rats after exposure to 2.45 GHz of Wi-Fi routers.

Material and Methods:
In this study, 70 male Wistar rats weighing 200 to 250 g were randomly divided into 7 groups (10 rats in each group). Group A received vitamin C (250mg kg-1 day orally) and8- hour Wi-Fi exposure only for one day. Group B were treated as group A, but they didn’t receive vitamin C. Group C, received only vitamin C for one day. Control group or group D was neither exposed to radiation of Wi-Fi router nor did received vitamin C. Group E receive just vitamin C for 5 days. Group F was only exposed to Wi-Fi radiation for 8 hours / day for 5 days .Finally, group G received vitamin C and was exposed to Wi-Fi radiation for 8 hours / day for 5 days. The Wi-Fi modem was placed at the distance of 20 cm away from animals restrainers. Finally, blood sampling was performed and the level hepatic enzymes including ALP, ALT, ASL, GGT and the concentration of Blood Glucose, Cholesterol and TG, HDL-c, LDL-c, were measured in all groups.

Results:
The results showed that, Wi-Fi exposure together with vitamin C during 1 day can lead to significant differences on the blood Glucose, TG and GGT factors in groups (A,D) (p=0.01), Wi-Fi exposure and during a day can cause significant differences on GLU and TG levels in groups (B,D) and the amount of HDL in groups (A, B) was also significant (P=0.03). In addition, we demonstrated that Wi-Fi exposure during 5 day can cause significant differences on the level of BG, TG, Chol and also the amount of HDL in groups (D, F) (p=0.0001).

Conclusion:
Wi-Fi exposure can cause changes in activity level of hepatic enzymes, but the use of vitamin C protects them from these changes.
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Source: Journal of Biomedical Physics and Engineering, Shekoohi-Shooli et al.,

Microwave Electromagnetic Radiations Emitted from Common Wi-Fi Routers Reduce Sperm Count and Motility
Iran Created: 5 Jun 2015
ABSTRACT by R Mahmoudi
Background: Wi-Fi allows electronic devices such as laptops to exchange data or connect to a network resource. The main goal of this study was to assess the bioeffects of short term exposure to 2.4 GHz microwave radiation emitted from a common Wi-Fi router on sperm quality.
Materials and Methods: Wistar rats were divided into 7 groups; I, sham exposed 4 h/day for 7days at 30 cm from the router. II, exposed for 2 h/day for 7days at 30 cm and sacrificed after 53 days. The exposure protocols for groups III to VII were 2h – 30 cm, 2h – 60 cm, 4 h – 30 cm, 4 h- 60 cm, 4 h – 30 cm (no data exchange) respectively. Rats in all the groups except group II, were sacrificed immediately after exposure and basic parameters of testicles weight, sperm motility, morphology, count, and DNA fragmentation were studied. Non-parametric tests were used to detect statistically significant differences between different groups.
Results: Findings of this study showed statistically significant differences between the relative frequency of progressive and rapid progressive sperms in sham exposed rats compared to those of exposure groups. The testicles weight, DNA fragmentation of sperms and the frequency of sperms with normal morphology were not affected by Wi-Fi radiation. However, statistically significant differences between sperm count of the sham exposed rats compared to those of exposure group were observed.
Conclusions: Exposure to microwave radiation emitted from Wi-Fi routers affects sperm parameters such as count and motility which are among the key parameters determining the chance of conceiving.
Corresponding Author:

SMJ Mortazavi, Ph.D
Professor of Medical Physics
Medical Physics & Medical Engineering Department, The Head
Ionizing and Non-ionizing Radiation Protection Research Center (INIRPRC), The Head
Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
E-mail: mmortazavi@sums.ac.ir
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Source: Agnes Ingvarsdottir

Health effects of living near mobile phone base transceiver station (BTS) antennae: a report from Isfahan, Iran.
Iran Created: 17 Dec 2014
BACKGROUND: In recent years, by tremendous use of mobile phone telecommunication, a growing concern about the possible health hazards has increased greatly among public and scientists. The mobile phone exposure has been shown to have many effects upon the immune functions, stimulating hormones, mammalian brain, sperm motility and morphology, and neurological pathologies syndrome. The aim of this study was to find out the psychological and psychobiological reactions of the people who are living near mobile phone base transceiver stations (BTS) antenna, in Isfahan, Iran.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:
A cross-sectional study on 250 randomly selected inhabitants (133 women and 117 men) was performed in October 2012 till November 2012. The inhabitants were requested to complete a standardized questionnaire that focused on the relevant psychological and psychobiological reactions parameters. A computer program (SPSS version16.0, Chicago, IL) was used for statistical analysis using the Chi-square test with Yates correction. All the data were tested using a criterion level of p = 0.05.

RESULTS:
The results showed that most of the symptoms such as nausea, headache, dizziness, irritability, discomfort, nervousness, depression, sleep disturbance, memory loss and lowering of libido were statistically significant in the inhabitants living near the BTS antenna (<300&#8201;m distances) compared to those living far from the BTS antenna (>300&#8201;m).

CONCLUSION:
It is suggested that cellular phone BTS antenna should not be sited closer than 300&#8201;m to populations to minimize exposure of neighbors.

Electromagn Biol Med. 2014 Sep;33(3):206-10. doi: 10.3109/15368378.2013.801352. Epub 2013 Jun 19.
Shahbazi-Gahrouei D, Karbalae M, Moradi HA, Baradaran-Ghahfarokhi M.

KEYWORDS:
Electromagnetic field; health effects; microwave radiation; mobile phone BTS
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Source: PubMed, Shahbazi-Gahrouei et al., 01 Sep 2014

Cell phone effects: Testicular proteome modified
Iran Created: 11 Sep 2014
The controversy over the potential health effects of electromagnetic radiation associated with cell phones has been fuelled by new research originating in Iran - A team of scientists from Shiraz University has found that electromagnetic fields change the proteome of rat testes, with implications for fertility.

There has been conflicting evidence over the last decade on the harmful nature of these EMFs. For instance, some studies have suggested that they do not affect the brain whereas others have found the opposite. Most notably, a recent study from Greece revealed that 143 proteins in the mouse brain were affected, including some from the regions dealing with learning and memory. The same type of radiation is emitted by wireless transmitters and wireless computer equipment, so the effects might be more widespread than first anticipated.

Now, Masood Sepehrimanesh, Nasrin Kazemipour, Mehdi Saeb and Saeed Nazifi have turned their attention to the testis, comparing the protein expressions from animals exposed to an EMF with those that were not exposed. Their main focus was on proteins that were induced or completely inhibited, rather than those which underwent a partial change in expression.
Lab rats exposed to EMF

Over 30 days, ten rats were exposed daily to 900 MHz radiation for 1, 2 or 4 hours and ten others were sham exposed under the same conditions in the cage. After this period, they were sacrificed and the proteins extracted from the testes.

The protein components in the extracts were separated by 2D SDS-PAGE under a protocol designed to minimise technical variations. Each testis sample was analysed in triplicate and all of the samples were prepared at the same time by a single technician using the same apparatus.

The separated proteins on the gel were visualised with a silver stain and those that were present only in the irradiated group or the sham group were marked as candidates for identification by mass spectrometry following digestion with trypsin.
Protein oxidation induced

The total number of protein spots on the gels ranged from 365 to 439 but there was little difference between the protein patterns for all three exposure groups. The overall protein concentrations and weights of the testes were not affected by the EMF treatment but there were some differences in individual proteins.

Significantly, 18 proteins were found only in the exposed group and 16 in the sham exposed group. They were not a result of thermal damage to the testes because the temperatures were maintained at 23°C during the whole program. The strongest and best separated spots, numbering 7 and 6 in the exposed and sham exposed groups, respectively, were analysed.

One of the proteins that disappeared following irradiation is Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase which offers major protection against oxygen toxicity in the testis. Its absence was attributed to the lack of viable spermatogonia, immature stem cells that form spermatocytes, where it is normally found in large quantities. If validated in further research, this effect alone is a serious consequence of EMFs.

The appearance of type II peroxiredoxin 1 in the testis after exposure to the EMF was due to over-oxidation of its cysteine residues. The occurrence of oxidative stress was supported by the appearance of heat shock proteins, possibly induced to combat the formation of free radicals, and the loss of valosin-containing protein due to the oxidative S-thiolation of cysteine residues.

Other affected proteins were related to metabolism and cytoskeletal processes within the testis. So, several different processes within the testis appear to be affected by the impact of EMFs.

The research team acknowledge that their findings will have to be confirmed by complementary studies using other methods like Western blotting and immunohistochemical procedures. However, if the protein alterations can be repeated, then exposure to EMFs from cell phones and wifi equipment will have to be reconsidered by national and international health organisations as they could have a bearing on male fertility.
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Source: Spectroscopy Now, Steve Down, 01 Sep 2014

Mobile-phone radiation accelerates mercury release from dental amalgam fillings
Iran Created: 3 Oct 2008
A new important clue in the connection between mobile-phone radiation and the increase of electrohypersensitivity, autism, allergies, alzheimers, parkinsons comes from researchers at the Department of Medical Physics, Shiraz University in Iran.

The researchers have discovered that exposure to mobile-phone radiation or MRI-scan magnetic field significantly accelerates the release of mercury from dental fillings and into the body.

In the 1st phase of this study, thirty patients were investigated. Five milliliter stimulated saliva was collected just before and after MRI. The magnetic flux density was 0.23 T and the duration of exposure of patients to magnetic field was 30 minutes.

In the 2nd phase, fourteen female healthy University students who had not used mobile phones before the study and did not have any previous amalgam restorations were investigated.

Dental amalgam restoration was performed for all 14 students. Their urine samples were collected before amalgam restoration and at days 1, 2, 3 and 4 after restoration.
The mean +/- SD saliva Hg concentrations of the patients before and after MRI were 8.6 +/- 3.0 and 11.3 +/- 5.3 microg L(-1), respectively (p < 0.01).
A statistical significant (p < 0.05) higher concentration was observed in the students used mobile phone.
The mean +/- SE urinary Hg concentrations of the students who used mobile phones were 2.43 +/- 0.25, 2.71 +/- 0.27, 3.79 +/- 0.25, 4.8 +/- 0.27 and 4.5 +/- 0.32 microg L(-1) before the amalgam restoration and at days 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively.
Whereas the respective Hg concentrations in the controls, were 2.07 +/- 0.22, 2.34 +/- 0.30, 2.51 +/- 0.25, 2.66 +/- 0.24 and 2.76 +/- 0.32 microg L(-1).

It appears that MRI and microwave radiation emitted from mobile phones significantly release mercury from dental amalgam restoration.
Further research is needed to clarify whether other common sources of electromagnetic field exposure may cause alterations in dental amalgam and accelerate the release of mercury.
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Source: PubMed, Mortazavi SM, Daiee E, Yazdi A, Khiabani K, Kavousi A, Vazirinejad R, Behnejad B, Ghasemi M, Mood MB, Apr 2008

Cancer link to heavy mobile use
Iran Created: 25 Feb 2008
Heavy mobile phone use may be linked to an increased risk of cancer of the salivary gland, a study suggests.

Researchers looked at 500 people who had developed the condition and compared their mobile phone usage with 1,300 healthy controls.

Those who had used the phone against one side of the head for several hours a day were 50% more likely to have developed a salivary gland tumor.

The research appeared in The American Journal of Epidemiology.

Numerous studies have focused on the risk of tumors among those who use mobile phones, and overwhelmingly found no increased cancer risk.

But researchers say these have tended to focus on brain tumors, and often did not include long-term users.

Cancer of the salivary gland is a very rare condition. Of the 230,000 cases of cancer diagnosed in the UK for instance annually, only 550 relate to this area.

One of the key findings of the study was that heavy users in rural areas had an even higher risk that those in cities, due, the team suggested, to the fact that mobile phones in areas without strong signals need to emit more radiation to work properly.

But Dr. Siegal Sadetzki, who led the research, stressed one study was not enough to prove a link, and that further research was needed.

Nonetheless, until more evidence became available, a ""precautionary"" approach was best, she said, particularly when it comes to children's use of mobile phones.

Despite these latest findings, the largest and longest-running investigation ever to be carried out into mobile phone usage found no increased risk of any sort of cancer.

It followed 420,000 people in Denmark, some of whom had been using a mobile phone for as long as ten years.

There was in fact a lower incidence of cancer than expected in a group of that size, suggesting mobile phones had no impact on the development of tumors.

Last year, the UK's Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Program said that while the evidence so far was "reassuring", there was still a need for studies to examine the very long-term impact, and to look at the effect in children.

Ed Yong, of Cancer Research UK, said: ""Mobile phones are a relatively recent invention and new research into any possible health risks is welcome.

"However, it's important to remember that the vast majority of studies so far have found that mobile phones do not increase the risk of any type of cancer."
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Source: Tehran Times,

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