TELECOMMUNICATION SIGNALS CAN CAUSE BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS: OUR 20 YEARS' STUDIES IN LIVING SYSTEMS

The big bang of telecommunication initiated a few decades ago has caused gradually an enormous increase of the electromagnetic pollution in the environment, the work place and home as well as the personal surrounding of every user. The research of our Electromagnetic Biology Laboratory is focused on the effects of various kinds and sources of telecommunication signals (mobile phones, mast antennas, wireless DECT, baby monitors) on the reproduction of Drosophila melanogaster. Our activities are focused recently on the irradiation of the rodent Mus musculus to reveal defects on memory, behaviour, brain proteome/gene expression and other lesions induced by this type of non ionizing radiation. Our studies inxolve multidisciplinary approaches engaging the most sophisticated techniques, such as the Morris water Maze behavioural task, object recognition task, proteomics/transcriptomics analysis, ROS assay, immunohisto-chemistry, confocal and electron microscopy. The data show a decrease in the reproductive capacity of Drosophila and deficits in osteogenesis of newborn mice, as well as memory impairment and brain protein/gene expression changes following irradiation. Plant growth was shown to be affected by telecommunication signals. A proposed general mechanism of action involves the raise of reactive oxygen species as a major early event governing EMF exposure of living matter References Fragopoulou A. F. A. Polyzos, M‐D. Papadopoulou, A. Sansone, A. K. Manta, E. Balafas, N. Kostomitsopoulos, K. Skouroliakou, Ch. Chatgilialoglu, A. Georgakilas, D. J. Stravopodis, C. Ferreri, D. Thanos, L. H. Margaritis (2018) Hippocampal lipidome and transcriptome profile alterations triggered by acute exposure of mice to GSM 1800 MHz mobile phone radiation: An exploratory study.. Brain Behav. Jun; 8(6) Stefi AL, Margaritis HL, Christodoulakis NS (2016) The effect of the non-ionizing radiation on cultivated plants of Arabidopsis thaliana.(Col.). Flora 223, 114-120 Manta AK, Papadopoulou D, Polyzos AP, Fragopoulou AF, Skouroliakou AS, Thanos D, Stravopodis DJ, Margaritis LH. (2016) Mobile-phone radiation-induced perturbation of gene-expression profiling, redox equilibrium and sporadic-apoptosis control in the ovary of Drosophila melanogaster. Fly (Austin). Dec 14:1-21. Stasinopoulou M, Fragopoulou AF, Stamatakis A, Mantziaras G, Skouroliakou K, Papassideri IS,Stylianopoulou F, Lai H,Kostomitsopoulos N and LH Margaritis (2016) Effects of pre- and post-natal exposure to 1880-1900 MHz DECT base radiation on rat development.. Reproductive Toxicology, Aug65:248-262 Manta, A. K., Stravopodis, D. J., Papassideri, I. S., Margaritis, L. H (2014) Reactive oxygen species elevation and recovery in Drosophila bodies and ovaries following short term and long term exposure to DECT base EMF Electromagn. Biol. Med. 33(2), 118-131 Margaritis, L. H.,Manta, A. K., Kokkaliaris, C. D.(2014) Drosophila as a bio-marker responding to EMF sources. et al. . Electromagn. Biol. Med. 33(3), 165-189