Effects of mobile phone radiation on serum testosterone in Wistar albino rats.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of electromagnetic field radiation generated by mobile phones on serum testosterone levels in Wistar albino rats. METHODS: This experimental interventional control study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during the period December 2006 to April 2008. A total of 34 male Albino rats [Wistar strain], 2 months of age, weighing 150-160 gm were used for the experiment. These animals were divided into 3 groups. The first group containing 6 rats was assigned as a control group. The second group containing 14 rats was exposed to mobile phone radiation for 30 minutes daily and the third group containing 14 rats was exposed to mobile phone radiation for 60 minutes daily for the total period of 3 months. At the end of experimental period, blood was collected into the container, and serum testosterone was analyzed using double-antibody radioimmunoassay method by Coat-A-Count. RESULTS: Exposure to mobile phone radiation for 60 minutes/day for the total period of 3 months significantly decrease the serum testosterone level [p=0.028] in Wistar Albino rats compared to their matched control. CONCLUSION: Long-term exposure to mobile phone radiation leads to reduction in serum testosterone levels. Testosterone is a primary male gender hormone and any change in the normal levels may be devastating for reproductive and general health.

Head-to-head comparison of dipyridamole echocardiography and stress perfusion scintigraphy for the detection of coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis. Comparison between stress echo and scintigraphy.

OBJECTIVES: This meta-analysis was performed to assess and compare the diagnostic accuracy of dipyridamole echocardiography test (DET) vs. stress perfusion scintigraphy (SPS) for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis of peer reviewed articles, published in English language reporting head-to-head comparison of DET vs. SPS for the diagnosis of CAD. Data of 10 studies comprising 651 patients from 10 different institutions were analyzed. DET dose was 0.56 mg/kg (low dose) in two studies, 0.75 mg/kg in 10 min or 0.84 mg/kg in 10 min (high dose) in six studies, and 0.84 mg/kg in 6 min (accelerated high dose) in one study and 0.84 mg/kg in 10 min + 1 mg atropine co-administration (augmented dose) in one study. SPS was performed with dipyridamole in six studies, with exercise in three studies and with dobutamine in one study. RESULTS: The overall diagnostic accuracy of the two tests was almost similar, 77% (95% CI = 74-81) for DET vs. 81% (95% CI = 78-84) for SPS (p = ns). SPS gave higher sensitivity, 88% (95% CI = 85-89) than DET, 70% (95% CI = 66-75) in cumulative data (p < 0.0001) while DET gave higher specificity, 90% (95% CI = 86-94) vs. 67% (95% CI = 60-73) (p < 0.0001). With state of the art protocols, i.e. accelerated dose and atropine augmented high dose, sensitivity of DET improved and overall accuracy was better than SPS (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: DET and SPS have a similar diagnostic accuracy. DET has a markedly higher specificity regardless of the dose employed. SPS shows a superior sensitivity, however this sensitivity gap diminishes when more aggressive dipyridamole dosage is used for the stress echocardiography.