# RF-030 — Separate Gazi laboratory reports sex-dependent barrier response

Why this matters
A separate laboratory reported a change in passage from blood into brain tissue in male rats, with no corresponding finding in females. This suggests a question about biological differences worth testing directly. The abstract does not establish a statistical difference between sexes, and full methods remain to be checked.

Id: RF-030

Author: Sırav and Seyhan

Full Authors: Bahriye Sırav; Nesrin Seyhan

Year: 2011

Title: Effects of radiofrequency radiation exposure on blood-brain barrier permeability in male and female rats

Journal: Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine

Citation: Sırav B, Seyhan N. Effects of radiofrequency radiation exposure on blood-brain barrier permeability in male and female rats. Electromagn Biol Med. 2011;30(4):253-260. doi:10.3109/15368378.2011.600167.

Doi: 10.3109/15368378.2011.600167

Pmid: 22047463

Topic: Blood-brain barrier; sex-specific responses

Verification Group: Original abstract verified

Record Role: Original abstract verified

Featured: False

Exposure: 0.9- or 1.8-GHz continuous wave for 20 min under anesthesia; reported SAR 4.26 and 1.46 mW/kg, respectively (averaging definition to verify in full methods).

Design: Male/female Wistar albino rats; sham controls; spectrophotometric Evans-blue assay in right brain, left brain, cerebellum and total brain. Sample sizes and masking require full paper.

Finding: Original abstract reports increased albumin/Evans-blue permeability in male rats after exposure; female rats showed no albumin extravasation. Exact region-level statistics not available in retrieved original abstract.

Boundary: Separate institution and assay from Lund, not a direct replication of the dark-neuron finding. Anesthesia and sex are relevant; no claim of human injury or compliance with a human exposure limit.

Related: Gazi University, Ankara programme; related pulse-modulated experiment RF-031, not independent of that programme.

Protection Question: Is there a genuine sex difference in barrier response? A significant result in males and a nonsignificant result in females do not themselves establish a between-sex interaction; original data remain important.

Access: Original PubMed abstract

Locator: PMID 22047463 abstract

Notice: Scite metadata checked 20 Oct 2026; no editorial notice returned. Primary bibliographic records and targeted notices were checked where retrievable; no retraction or expression of concern located. This is not certification that no notice exists.

Funding: PubMed classifies non-US government research support; specific funder not documented in retrieved abstract.

Conflicts: Not reported in retrieved abstract.

Source Url: https://doi.org/10.3109/15368378.2011.600167

Retrieval Links: https://doi.org/10.3109/15368378.2011.600167 | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22047463/

Verification Date: 2026-10-20