Institute of Environmental Process, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China.
Institute of Environmental Process, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China.
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2020 May;194:110354. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110354. Epub 2020 Mar 2.
With the rapid development of ultra high voltage alternating current (UHV AC) transmission, the intensity of environmental power frequency electric field (PFEF) near UHV AC transmission lines increased continuously, which has attracted considerable public attention on the potential health effects of PFEF. In this study, the effect of PFEF exposure on the kidney was explored. Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice were exposed to 35 kV/m PFEF (50 Hz). Two indicators relating to renal function (urea nitrogen and creatinine) were tested after the exposure of 7d, 14d, 21d, 35d and 49d. The pathological morphology and cellular ultrastructure of kidney were observed respectively by light microscopy and electron microscopy after the exposure of 25d and 52d. Results showed that compared with that of the control group, the concentration of urea nitrogen of 35 kV/m PFEF exposure group significantly increased on the 21st and 35th days, and the concentration of creatinine significantly increased on the 14th, 21st and 35th days. However, the concentrations of creatinine and urea nitrogen both returned to normal levels on the 49th day. Furthermore, an enlarged Bowman's space, the vacuolation of renal tubular epithelial cells and the foot process effacement of podocyte were found after 25d exposure, but no abnormality was observed after 52d exposure. Obviously, a short-term (35d) exposure of 35 kV/m PFEF could cause kidney injury, which could be recovered after a longer-term (52d) exposure. Based on this study and relevant literatures, one explanation for this two-way effect is as follows. Kidney injury was caused by the disequilibrium of mitochondrial dynamics under 35 kV/m PFEF exposure. PFEF could also activate Wnt/β-catenin signal to promote the recovery of renal tubular epithelial cells and glomerular podocytes, so kidney injury could be repaired.
随着特高压交流（UHV AC）输电的快速发展，UHV AC 输电线路附近环境工频电场（PFEF）的强度不断增加，这引起了公众对 PFEF 潜在健康影响的相当关注。在这项研究中，探讨了 PFEF 暴露对肾脏的影响。研究人员将 ICR 小鼠暴露于 35kV/m 的 PFEF（50Hz）中。在暴露 7d、14d、21d、35d 和 49d 后，检测与肾功能相关的两项指标（尿素氮和肌酐）。在暴露 25d 和 52d 后，分别通过光镜和电镜观察肾脏的病理形态和细胞超微结构。结果表明，与对照组相比，35kV/m PFEF 暴露组的尿素氮浓度在第 21 天和第 35 天显著升高，而肌酐浓度在第 14 天、第 21 天和第 35 天显著升高。然而，在第 49 天，肌酐和尿素氮的浓度均恢复正常水平。此外，在暴露 25d 后发现，鲍曼氏囊空间增大，肾小管上皮细胞空泡化，足突细胞足突消失，但在暴露 52d 后未见异常。显然，35kV/m 的短期（35d）暴露会导致肾脏损伤，而长期（52d）暴露后这种损伤可以恢复。基于这项研究和相关文献，对这种双向效应的一种解释如下。在 35kV/m PFEF 暴露下，线粒体动力学失衡导致肾脏损伤。PFEF 还可以激活 Wnt/β-catenin 信号，促进肾小管上皮细胞和肾小球足细胞的恢复，从而修复肾脏损伤。
