Effects of 3 Hz and 60 Hz Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields on Anxiety-Like Behaviors, Memory Retention of Passive Avoidance and Electrophysiological Properties of Male Rats

Introduction: the effects of electromagnetic fields on biological organisms have been a controversial and also interesting debate over the past few decades, despite the wide range of investigations, many aspects of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (elf/emfs) effects including mechanism of their interaction with live organisms and also their possible biological applications still remain ambiguous. in the present study, we investigated whether the exposures of elf/emf with frequencies of 3 hz and 60 hz can affect the memory, anxiety like behaviors, electrophysiological properties and brain’s proteome in rats. methods: male rats were exposed to 3 hz and 60 hz elf/emfs in a protocol consisting of 2 cycles of 2 h/day exposure for 4 days separated with a 2-day interval. short term memory and anxiety like behaviors were assessed immediately, 1 and 2 weeks after the exposures. effects of short term exposure were also assessed using electrophysiological approach immediately after 2 hours exposure. results: behavioral test revealed that immediately after the end of exposures, locomotor activity of both 3 hz and 60 hz exposed groups significantly decreased compared to sham group. this exposure protocol had no effect on anxiety like behavior during the 2 weeks after the treatment and also on short term memory. a significant reduction in firing rate of locus coeruleus (lc) was found after 2 hours of both 3 hz and 60 hz exposures. proteome analysis also revealed global changes in whole brain proteome after treatment. conclusion: here, some evidence regarding the fact that such exposures can alter locomotor activity and neurons firing rate in male rats were presented.