Electromagnetic fields instantaneously modulate nitric oxide signaling in challenged biological systems.
Pilla AA · 2012
View Original AbstractA non-thermal pulsed electromagnetic field produced an almost three-fold increase in nitric oxide release from neuronal cells within seconds of challenge.
Plain English Summary
Researchers tested how a non-thermal pulse-modulated RF signal affected nitric oxide release in dopaminergic MN9D neuronal cells challenged with lipopolysaccharides and in human fibroblast cultures challenged with low serum. In dopaminergic MN9D cultures, the signal produced an immediate nearly three-fold increase in nitric oxide, measured in real-time using a nitric oxide selective membrane electrode. In human fibroblast cultures challenged with low serum and exposed for 15 minutes to the same signal, nitric oxide increased nearly two-fold, and this increase could be blocked by the calmodulin antagonist W-7.
Why This Matters
The authors described this as, to their knowledge, the first report of a real-time effect of non-thermal electromagnetic fields on nitric oxide release from challenged cells. The signal was configured to modulate calmodulin activation by accelerating calcium binding kinetics, and use of the calmodulin antagonist W-7 provided further support that calmodulin is the site of action. The researchers stated the results provide mechanistic support for the many reported bioeffects of electromagnetic fields in which nitric oxide plays a role.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.0025 mT
- Electric Field
- 41 V/m
- Source/Device
- 27.12 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 15 min
Exposure Context
This study used 41 V/m for electric fields:
- 136.7x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.3 V/m
This study used 0.0025 mT for magnetic fields:
- 125x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 25x above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 1 mG
Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
To examine the effect of a non-thermal pulsed electromagnetic field on the release of nitric oxide in neuronal cells chellenged with lipopolisaccharides (LPS) and the involvement of calcium/calmodulin as a response to such a field in fibroblasts.
This study shows that a non-thermal pulse-modulated RF signal (PRF), configured to modulate calmodul...
To the authors’ knowledge this is the first report of a real-time effect of non-thermal electromagnetic fields (EMF) on NO release from challenged cells. The results provide mechanistic support for the many reported bioeffects of EMF in which NO plays a role. Thus, in a typical clinical application for acute post operative pain, or chronic pain from, e.g., osteoarthritis, EMF therapy could be employed to modulate the dynamics of NO via Ca/CaM-dependent constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) in the target tissue. This, in turn, would modulate the dynamics of the signaling pathways the body uses in response to the various phases of healing after physical or chemical insult or injury.
Show BibTeX
@article{aa_2012_electromagnetic_fields_instantaneously_modulate_442,
author = {Pilla AA},
title = {Electromagnetic fields instantaneously modulate nitric oxide signaling in challenged biological systems.},
year = {2012},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006291X12015975},
}