Effects of exposure to electromagnetic field from 915 MHz radiofrequency identification system on circulating blood cells in the healthy adult rat.

We investigated whether exposure to the 915 MHz radiofrequency identification (RFID) signal affected circulating blood cells in rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to RFID at a whole-body specific absorption rate of 2 W/kg for 8 h per day, 5 days per week, for 2 weeks. Complete blood counts were performed after RFID exposure, and the CD4+ /CD8+ ratio was determined by flow cytometry. The number of red blood cells (RBCs) and the values of hemoglobin, hematocrit, and RBC indices were increased in the RFID-exposed group compared with those in the cage-control and sham-exposed groups (P < 0.05). However, the RBCs and platelet numbers were within normal physiologic response ranges. The number of white blood cells, including lymphocytes, was decreased in RFID-exposed rats. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the sham-exposed and RFID-exposed groups in terms of T-cell counts or CD4+ /CD8+ ratio (P > 0.05). Although the number of circulating blood cells was significantly altered by RFID exposure at a whole-body specific absorption rate of 2 W/kg for 2 weeks, these changes do not necessarily indicate that RFID exposure is harmful, as they were within the normal physiological response range. Bioelectromagnetics. 39:68-76, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Brown alga Ecklonia cava attenuates type 1 diabetes by activating AMPK and Akt signaling pathways.

The antidiabetic therapeutic effect of Ecklonia cava, a brown alga, was investigated using streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes mellitus rats and C2C12 myoblasts. The methanol extract of E. cava (ECM), having a strong radical scavenging activity, significantly reduced plasma glucose level and increased insulin concentration in type 1 diabetes mellitus rats. Moreover, the elevation of plasma ALT in diabetic rats was dramatically restored near to normal range by the treatment of ECM, whereas AST level was not meaningfully altered in any group throughout the experiment. The characteristic indications of diabetes, such as polyphagia and polydipsia, were greatly improved by ECM treatment as well. The mechanism of action of ECM appears to be, at least partially, mediated by the activation of both AMP-activated protein kinase/ACC and PI-3 kinase/Akt signal pathways. Taken together, the present results suggest that E. cava has both in vivo and in vitro antidiabetic effects.