Pre-exposure of neuroblastoma cell line to pulsed electromagnetic field prevents H2 O2 -induced ROS production by increasing MnSOD activity.
Osera C, Amadio M, Falone S, Fassina L, Magenes G, Amicarelli F, Ricevuti G, Govoni S, Pascale A · 2015
View Original AbstractBrief pulsed EMF exposure strengthened brain cells' antioxidant defenses, suggesting some EMF parameters might protect rather than harm cells.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed neuroblastoma cells (a type of brain cancer cell) to pulsed electromagnetic fields for short periods over several weeks, then tested how well the cells handled oxidative stress (cellular damage from harmful molecules). They found that the EMF pre-exposure increased the cells' natural antioxidant defenses and made them more resistant to damage from hydrogen peroxide, suggesting that certain EMF exposures might help cells protect themselves against harmful oxidation.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a fascinating paradox in EMF research: while most studies focus on EMF's potential harmful effects, this research suggests that specific pulsed electromagnetic field exposures might actually strengthen cellular defenses. The researchers found that brief, repeated PEMF exposures enhanced the activity of manganese superoxide dismutase, a critical antioxidant enzyme, making cells more resilient to oxidative damage. What makes this particularly intriguing is the hormesis effect - the biological principle that low-level stressors can sometimes strengthen organisms rather than harm them. However, we must be cautious about extrapolating these findings. This study used cancer cells, not healthy neurons, and the specific EMF parameters weren't fully detailed. The reality is that EMF effects are highly dependent on frequency, intensity, duration, and timing. While this research opens interesting questions about therapeutic EMF applications, it doesn't change the broader evidence showing that chronic, high-level EMF exposure from everyday devices can cause cellular stress and health problems.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: 40 min overall (four times a week, 10 min each)
Study Details
This study aimed to assess whether a short and repeated pulsed EMF (PEMF) could trigger adaptive responses against an oxidative insult in a neuronal cellular model.
We found that a 40 min overall (four times a week, 10 min each) pre-exposure to PEMF did not affect ...
Although studies in normal neuronal cells would be useful to further confirm our hypothesis, we suggest that specific PEMF treatments may have potential biological repercussions in diseases where oxidative stress is implicated.
Show BibTeX
@article{c_2015_preexposure_of_neuroblastoma_cell_1600,
author = {Osera C and Amadio M and Falone S and Fassina L and Magenes G and Amicarelli F and Ricevuti G and Govoni S and Pascale A},
title = {Pre-exposure of neuroblastoma cell line to pulsed electromagnetic field prevents H2 O2 -induced ROS production by increasing MnSOD activity.},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1002/bem.21900},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bem.21900},
}