[Cellphone electromagnetic radiation damages the testicular ultrastructure of male rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of cellphone electromagnetic radiation (CER) on the testicular ultrastructure and the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells in male rats.atability, feasibility, applicability, and controllability in the construction of experimental animal models, we compared the major anatomic features of the penis of 20 adult beagle dogs with those of 10 adult men. Using microsurgical techniques, we performed cross-transplantation of the penis in the 20 (10 pairs) beagle dogs and observed the survival rate of the transplanted penises by FK506+MMF+MP immune induction. We compared the relevant indexes with those of the 10 cases of microsurgical replantation of the amputated penis. METHODS: Thirty adult male SD rats were equally randomized into a 2 h CER, a 4 h CER, and a normal control group, the former two groups exposed to 30 days of 900 MHz CER for 2 and 4 hours a day, respectively, while the latter left untreated. Then the changes in the ultrastructure of the testis tissue were observed under the transmission electron microscope and the apoptosis of the spermatogenic cells was determined by TUNEL. RESULTS: Compared with the normal controls, the rats of the 2 h CER group showed swollen basement membrane of seminiferous tubules, separated tight junction of Sertoli cells, increased cell intervals, apparent vacuoles and medullization in some mitochondria, and increased apoptosis of spermatogenic cells, mainly the apoptosis of primary spermatocytes (P<0.05 ). In comparison with the 2 h CER group, the animals of the 4 h CER group exhibited swollen basement membrane of seminiferous tubules, more separated tight junction of Sertoli cells, wider cell intervals, incomplete membrane of spermatogonial cells, fragments of cytoplasm, nuclear pyknosis and notch, slight dilation of perinuclear space, abnormalities of intracellular mitochondria with vacuoles, fuzzy structure, and fusion or disappearance of some cristae, and increased damage of mitochondria and apoptosis of spermatogenic cells, including the apoptosis of spermatogonial cells, primary spermatocytes, and secondary spermatocytes (P<0.05 ). CONCLUSIONS: CER can damage the testicular ultrastructure and increase the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells of the male rat in a time-dependent manner, and the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells may be associated with the damage to mitochondria.

[Contents and movement of phosphorus in soil of long term effluent irrigated land forest].

Treated sewage effluent from Rotorua City, New Zealand, has been spray-irrigated into Whakarewarewa Forest to minimize effluent-derived nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) entering Lake Rotorua. To assess the capacity of the ecosystem to assimilate the effluent derived nutrients, a long term field trial was established within the Rotorua land treatment system. The objective of this study was to determine the accumulation, redistribution and movement of P in the volcanic soil after 11 year effluent irrigation. The soil samples were analyzed. Soil pH, total phosphorus (TP), Olsen P, Mehlich-3 P(M3P), M3Ca and M3Mg had increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the top soil (0-10 cm) in all effluent treated plots compared with the control plots. Some significant increase had extended deeper soil layer (20-40cm) or much deeper soil layer. Most effluent-derived P had accumulated in top 40cm. Concentrations of soil Olsen P and M3P in the medium and high effluent treatments were over environmental threshold levels (Olsen P, 60 mg x kg(-1); M3P, 150 mg x kg(-1)) in the top 20 cm. The values of soil saturation ratio (M3PSR) show that it was nearly saturated of soil P sorption in top soil. It was suggested that there was a potential environment crisis for soil P to move downward with drainage water. Regular soil sampling and Olsen P measurement using 60 mg x kg(-1) as an environment threshold could provide a solution for monitoring the movement of P down the soil profile. Phosphorus saturation ratio index (M3PSR) calculated as the molar ratio of M3P to (M3Al + M3Fe) appeared to be inadequate as an indicator for downward movement of soil P in such land treatment system. A new Phosphorus saturation ratio index for this system will be one of future study work.