The effect of electromagnetic field on thymus's weight on mice

Introduction: The possible risks of electromagnetic fields for human body are a growing concern for our society. In the modern world, the increase of using electronic devices which generate electromagnetic field is remarkable in all generations specially young people. The thymus gland, despite containing glandular tissue and producing several hormones, is much more closely associated with the immune system than with the endocrine system. The thymus serves a vital role in the training and development of T-lymphocytes or T cells, an extremely important type of white blood cell. T cells defend the body from potentially deadly pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Therefore, we have studied the effect of extremely low frequency (ELF) on thymus of Balb/C mice. Materials and methods: In this experimental study, 16 adult male mice were divided into two groups: First group (experimental) included 8 male mice that were exposed to 4mT and 50Hz electromagnetic field for 4 hours in 15 days. Second group (control) included 8 mice that were kept in a normal condition. At the end of 15 days period, all animals were anesthetized and their thymus were removed and the weight have been measured. The data was analyzed using one way ANOVA test. Results: By comparing the thymus's weight of control group and experimental group, we observed that their weight has been changed, and this difference is significant (p<0.01). Conclusion: The results showed significant difference regarding 15 days exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic field on thymus's weight.

Keywords:

Electromagnetic field , Mice , Thymus