{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:49:39Z","timestamp":1787028579218,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,12]],"date-time":"2026-04-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775952000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003093","name":"Ministry of Higher Education","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["FRGS\/1\/2022\/SKK06\/UKM\/03\/2"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["FRGS\/1\/2022\/SKK06\/UKM\/03\/2"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003093","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["FRGS\/1\/2022\/SKK06\/UKM\/03\/2"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["FRGS\/1\/2022\/SKK06\/UKM\/03\/2"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/05mcs2t73","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine Fundamental Grant (GFPP), Faculty of Medicine","award":["FF-2023-176"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["FF-2023-176"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The expansion of fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks has increased environmental exposure to mid-band and millimeter-wave radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF), but their molecular effects on male reproductive tissues remain insufficiently understood. This study evaluated whether repeated exposure to 3.5 GHz and 24 GHz RF-EMF alters testicular stress-associated molecular responses by integrating electromagnetic dosimetry with an in vivo rat model. Whole-body specific absorption rate (SAR) and 10 g peak SAR were estimated using a rat voxel model and scaled to the 20 cm antenna-to-cage geometry used during exposure. Thirty-six adult male Sprague Dawley rats were allocated to sham, 3.5 GHz, or 24 GHz groups and exposed for 1 h\/day or 7 h\/day over 60 days. Testes were examined histologically and assessed for HSP27, HSP70, and HSP90 protein expression. SAR values were low overall, although absorption was higher at 3.5 GHz than at 24 GHz. Histological evaluation showed preserved seminiferous tubule architecture without consistent structural injury. In contrast, molecular analysis demonstrated frequency- and duration-dependent modulation of heat shock proteins, including early HSP70 downregulation at both frequencies, followed by HSP90 upregulation at 3.5 GHz and HSP27 upregulation at 24 GHz. These findings indicate that low-level 5G-relevant RF-EMF exposure can modify molecular stress responses in testicular tissue even in the absence of overt histological damage.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms27083452","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,13]],"date-time":"2026-04-13T08:49:02Z","timestamp":1776070142000},"page":"3452","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Testicular Heat-Shock Protein Expression in Rats Following 3.5 GHz and 24 GHz RF-EMF Exposure"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"27","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-8931-5897","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Syed Muhamad Asyraf","family":"Syed Taha","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Federal Territory, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7645-3805","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Farah Hanan Fathihah","family":"Jaffar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Federal Territory, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Atikah","family":"Hairulazam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Federal Territory, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sivasatyan","family":"Vijay","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Federal Territory, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Norazurashima","family":"Jamaludin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Science Program, Center for Diagnostic, Therapeutic and Investigative Studies (CODTIS), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Federal Territory, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aini Farzana","family":"Zulkefli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Federal Territory, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohd Farisyam","family":"Mat Ros","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Federal Territory, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3348-0672","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Khairul","family":"Osman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Science Program, Center for Diagnostic, Therapeutic and Investigative Studies (CODTIS), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Federal Territory, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zahriladha","family":"Zakaria","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Electronics & Computer Technology and Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia (UTeM), Hang Tuah Jaya, Durian Tunggal 76100, Melaka, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohd Amyrul Azuan","family":"Mohd Bahar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Intel Microelectronics (M) Sdn. Bhd., Bayan Lepas Technoplex, Medan Bayan Lepas, Bayan Lepas 11900, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4474-8032","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Siti Fatimah","family":"Ibrahim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Federal Territory, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"585","DOI":"10.1038\/s41370-021-00297-6","article-title":"5G mobile networks and health\u2014A state-of-the-science review of the research into low-level RF fields above 6\u2009GHz","volume":"31","author":"Karipidis","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Expo. Sci. Environ. 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