HarmVery low evidencePaper 6898

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

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Keywords

#ELF-PEMF #extremely low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields #kidney #renal tissue #rats #oxidative stress #apoptosis #inflammation #aquaporin #AQP3 #AQP5 #BAX #Caspase-9 #TNF-α

Study snapshot

PublicationJournal of Molecular Histology · 2026

Study typeanimal

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingVery low

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-α 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.

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typeanimal

Effect directionharm

PopulationForty male rats assigned to control, sham, 1 mT ELF-PEMF, and 5 mT ELF-PEMF groups

Sample size40

ExposureELF · 4 hours daily for 8 weeks

Evidence strengthVery lowConfidence: 93% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Kidney tissue exposed to 1 mT and 5 mT ELF-PEMF showed hyperemia, tubular degeneration, and proteinaceous casts. ELF-PEMF increased BAX, Caspase-9, TNF-α, AQP5, and oxidative stress markers; 5 mT exposure also increased AQP3, while BCL-2 did not change. The authors conclude that long-term ELF-PEMF exposure may cause oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, and altered renal histology and cellular homeostasis in rats.

Outcomes measured

kidney histopathology
hyperemia
tubular degeneration
proteinaceous casts
BAX immunoreactivity
Caspase-9 immunoreactivity
TNF-α immunoreactivity
BCL-2 expression
AQP3 expression
AQP5 expression
oxidative stress

Limitations

Animal study in male rats
Exposure frequency was not stated in the abstract
Only two ELF-PEMF magnetic flux density groups, 1 mT and 5 mT, were evaluated
Study duration was 8 weeks

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "ELF",
    "source": null,
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "4 hours daily for 8 weeks"
  },
  "population": "Forty male rats assigned to control, sham, 1 mT ELF-PEMF, and 5 mT ELF-PEMF groups",
  "sample_size": 40,
  "outcomes": [
    "kidney histopathology",
    "hyperemia",
    "tubular degeneration",
    "proteinaceous casts",
    "BAX immunoreactivity",
    "Caspase-9 immunoreactivity",
    "TNF-α immunoreactivity",
    "BCL-2 expression",
    "AQP3 expression",
    "AQP5 expression",
    "oxidative stress"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Kidney tissue exposed to 1 mT and 5 mT ELF-PEMF showed hyperemia, tubular degeneration, and proteinaceous casts. ELF-PEMF increased BAX, Caspase-9, TNF-α, AQP5, and oxidative stress markers; 5 mT exposure also increased AQP3, while BCL-2 did not change. The authors conclude that long-term ELF-PEMF exposure may cause oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, and altered renal histology and cellular homeostasis in rats.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Animal study in male rats",
    "Exposure frequency was not stated in the abstract",
    "Only two ELF-PEMF magnetic flux density groups, 1 mT and 5 mT, were evaluated",
    "Study duration was 8 weeks"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "very_low",
  "confidence": 0.93,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "ELF-PEMF",
    "extremely low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields",
    "kidney",
    "renal tissue",
    "rats",
    "oxidative stress",
    "apoptosis",
    "inflammation",
    "aquaporin",
    "AQP3",
    "AQP5",
    "BAX",
    "Caspase-9",
    "TNF-α"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": []
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1007/s10735-026-10883-3
PubMed: Not supplied

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