Sanchez S, Masuda H, Billaudel B, Haro E, et al. (2006)

This group of authors reported in a companion paper that acute RFR exposure had no effect on the skin of hairless rats. The purpose of this paper was to determine if the cellular components of hairless rat skin are immediately affected after chronic local exposure to RFR.

Eight rats were exposed to 900 or 1800 MHz RFR for 2 hours per day, 5 days a week, for 12 weeks. The exposure was limited to the right of the back. The SAR was 2.5 or 5 W/kg. The rats were sacrificed immediately at the end of the experiment and skin biopsies taken from the exposed area, and from the same area on the left side of the back. Two other groups were included, with 8 animals in each group. There was a control group and a sham-exposed group.

The studied parameters were epidermis thickness, skin irritation, and histological analysis using various biomarkers – hematoxylin eosin saffron, Ki-67 (a cellular proliferation marker), filaggrin, collagen, and elastin. The analysis was done in a blind manner in an outside laboratory.

There was no difference in skin thickness or apparent cell toxicity among the groups. There was also no difference in the results of the various markers.