Mouse Testis after Exposure to Electromagnetic

Background: The effects of electromagnetic field (EMF) on reproductive system have been of critical concern for a long time. It has been shown that the EMF can adversely affect tes-ticular cells and tissue and decrease male fertility. The most important determinants of male fertility are sperm development and motility, which are affected by changes in several factors including lipocalin 2 proteins. In the present study, we investi-gated the effects of exposure to EMF on testis tissue and ex-pression of lipocalin 2 gene. Methods: Male BALB/c mice (8 weeks old) were exposed to 3 mT EMF for 8 weeks, 4 hours/day. Control group (10 mice) did not receive EMF exposure. After the experimental period, the mice were sacrificed, and their testis tissues were examined by using light microscopy after hematoxylin-eosin staining. Additionally, total RNA and proteins were extracted from tes-tis tissue and used to study the lipocalin 2 expression by real time RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Results: The histological changes observed in the testes of ex-perimental group included increased number of spermatocytes and Leydig cells, and increased thickness of basement mem-brane compared with the control group. The mRNA and pro-tein studies showed that expression of lipocalin 2 gene was down regulated in testes of the mice exposed to EMF. Conclusion: Our study showed that EMF down regulates the expression of lipocalin 2, a cytoprotective molecule, in testis tissue. This down regulation can be one of the mechanisms that contribute to the decreased fertility observed after exposure to EMF