RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Hepatic damage caused by oxidative stress is one of the problems associated with the emission of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). In this study, the effects of swimming exercise (SE) on oxidative stress and liver cell damage caused by EMR emission in rats were investigated. METHODS: Thirty-two rats (8 weeks old) were randomly divided into four groups, including control (C), EMR, SE, and EMR + SE. During four weeks, the animals engaged in SE (30 min/session, 5session/week) and were also exposed to EMR (4 h/day, seven days/week) emission from a Wi-Fi 2.45GHZ router. The liver and blood samples were collected at 48 h after completing four weeks of SE to assess histopathological damage, oxidative stress, and liver enzymes. KEY FINDINGS: Tissue sections showed severe liver damage in the EMR group compared to the C group, while the SE attenuated the liver damage. In the EMR group, compared to the C, SE and EMR + SE groups, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) decreased significantly, and the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) and liver enzymes (AST, ALT, and ALP) increased significantly (P < 0.05). Swimming exercise in the SE and EMR + SE groups compared to EMR led to a significant increase in the activity of SOD and CAT and a significant decrease in the concentration of MDA and liver enzymes (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The study findings showed that the SE is beneficial in attenuating the harmful effects of RF-EMR emitted from the Wi-Fi on the liver.