Low-intensity electromagnetic fields induce human cryptochrome to modulate intracellular reactive oxygen species
Regoli F, Gorbi S, Machella N, Tedesco S, Benedetti M, Bocchetti R, Notti A, Fattorini D, Piva F, Principato G · 2005
View Original AbstractPower-line frequency magnetic fields triggered cellular damage and DNA breaks in living organisms, even at environmental exposure levels.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed land snails to 50-Hz magnetic fields (the same frequency used in power lines) for up to two months and measured cellular damage. The magnetic field exposure triggered oxidative stress, causing the snails' cells to produce harmful molecules that damaged DNA and cellular membranes. This study demonstrates that power-line frequency electromagnetic fields can disrupt cellular defenses and cause biological damage in living organisms.
Why This Matters
This research adds important evidence to our understanding of how power-line frequency EMFs affect biological systems at the cellular level. The 50-Hz frequency studied is identical to what power lines and many electrical devices emit, making these findings directly relevant to human exposure scenarios. What makes this study particularly compelling is its dual approach, examining both short-term laboratory exposure and longer-term field conditions near actual power lines. The researchers found that EMF exposure overwhelmed the snails' natural antioxidant defenses, leading to a cascade of cellular damage including DNA breaks and membrane disruption. While conducted in snails rather than humans, the fundamental cellular processes affected are shared across species, suggesting these mechanisms could operate in human cells as well. The study's emphasis on long-term effects is especially noteworthy, as it highlights how initial oxidative damage can potentially lead to more serious health consequences over time.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 50-Hz
Study Details
To study Pro-oxidant effects of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields in the land snail Helix aspersa
Pro-oxidant effects of extremely low frequency (ELF) 50-Hz magnetic fields were investigated in the ...
The overall results indicated an oxidative challenge caused by ELF magnetic fields with particularly...
This study highlights the importance of a multimarker approach for detecting a wide panel of biological responses, the necessity of investigating the long-term effects of early oxidative responses, and the role of ELF in enhancing susceptibility to other forms of pathologies or diseases.
Show BibTeX
@article{f_2005_lowintensity_electromagnetic_fields_induce_1604,
author = {Regoli F and Gorbi S and Machella N and Tedesco S and Benedetti M and Bocchetti R and Notti A and Fattorini D and Piva F and Principato G},
title = {Low-intensity electromagnetic fields induce human cryptochrome to modulate intracellular reactive oxygen species},
year = {2005},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0891584905004466},
}