Assessment of function, histopathological changes, and oxidative stress in liver tissue due to ionizing and non-ionizing radiations

Background: compared to past decades, humans are exposed to rapidly increasing levels of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiations (rf-emf). despite numerous studies, the biological effects of human exposure to different levels of rf-emf are not fully understood yet. this study aimed to evaluate the bioeffects of exposure to 900/1800 mhz and “2.4 ghz rf-emfs, and x-rays alone as well as their potential interactions, i.e. inducing simple additive, adaptive, or synergistic effects. methods: 120 wistar rats were randomly divided into ten groups of 12 each. the rats were exposed to rf-emf, 10 cgy, and 8 gy x-rays, a combination of these exposures, or only sham-exposed. the levels of liver enzymes were determined in serum samples by an auto-analyzer. moreover, the histopathological changes, and the levels of malondialdehyde (mda), nitric oxide, ferric reducing antioxidant power, total thiols, and protein carbonyl (pco) were measured. results: among the markers of liver function, gamma-glutamyltransferase was not associated with irradiation but, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase showed some levels of association. mda and pco levels after 8 gy irradiation increased, but pre-exposure to rf-emf could modulate their changes. at the cellular level, the frequency of lobular inflammation was associated with the type of intervention. conclusion: the exposure to both ionizing and non-ionizing radiations could alter some liver function tests. a short term pre-exposure to rf-emf before exposure to an 8 gy challenging dose of x-rays caused the alterations in oxidative stress markers and liver function tests, which indicate that oxidative stress is possibly involved in the adaptive response.