Evaluation of mobile phone radiation-induced structural changes of rat brain with emphasis on the possible protective role of pomegranate peel extract

The study aims to evaluate the impact of the antioxidant rich pomegranate fruit grown in Taif on the histological and immunohistochemical changes in the cerebral and cerebellar cortex after different levels of mobile exposure.

Thirty adult male rats were divided into group I, II, III; IV, and group V. Group I was control and group II rats were exposed to 900 MHz and in group III the rats are exposed to 1800 MHz for two months. Group IV the rats were exposed to 900 MHz concomitant with pomegranate peel extract (500 mg/kg) and group V rats were exposed to 1800 MHz and pomegranate peel extract (500 mg/kg) orally in aqueous solution once per day for two months. Frontal cortex and cerebellum tissues were dissected out and processed for histopathological and immunohistochemical studies.

The cerebral and cerebellar cortexes of mobile-exposed rats exhibited degenerative changes especially in the nerve cells. These changes were more pronounced with increase in the frequency of radiation. Most of pyramidal and Purkinje cells became irregular in shape, had deeply stained nuclei, and were surrounded with peri-cellular haloes and vacuolated neuropil. However, some of them were surrounded with neuroglial accumulation.

The study concluded that pomegranate peel extract can ameliorate the histopathological changes induced by mobile phone electromagnetic radiations.