Combinative exposure effect of radio frequency signals from CDMA mobile phones and aphidicolin on DNA integrity.

Tiwari R, Lakshmi NK, Surender V, Rajesh AD, Bhargava SC, Ahuja YR

Electromagn Biol Med. 27(4):418-425, 2008

The aim of present study is to assess DNA integrity on the effect of exposure to a radio frequency (RF) signal from Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) mobile phones.

Whole blood samples from six healthy male individuals were exposed for RF signals from a CDMA mobile phone for 1 h. Alkaline comet assay was performed to assess the DNA damage.

The combinative exposure effect of the RF signals and APC at two concentrations on DNA integrity was studied. DNA repair efficiency of the samples was also studied after 2 h of exposure.

The RF signals and APC (0.2 microg/ml) alone or in synergism did not have any significant DNA damage as compared to sham exposed. However, univariate analysis showed that DNA damage was significantly different among combinative exposure of RF signals and APC at 0.2 microg/ml (p < 0.05) and at 2 microg/ml (p < 0.02). APC at 2 microg/ml concentration also showed significant damage levels (p < 0.05) when compared to sham exposed.

DNA repair efficiency also varied in a significant way in combinative exposure sets (p < 0.05).

From these results, it appears that the repair inhibitor APC enhances DNA breaks at 2 microg/ml concentration and that the damage is possibly repairable. Thus, it can be inferred that the in vitro exposure to RF signals induces reversible DNA damage in synergism with APC.