Myocardial function improved by electromagnetic field induction of stress protein hsp70.
George I, Geddis MS, Lill Z, Lin H, Gomez T, Blank M, Oz MC, Goodman R. · 2008
View Original AbstractLow-level 60 Hz magnetic fields can trigger heart-protective proteins, suggesting EMF effects are more complex than simple harm models indicate.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (60 Hz at 8 microTesla) for 30 minutes before inducing heart attacks, then measured heart function recovery. The electromagnetic field exposure triggered production of a protective protein called HSP70, which significantly improved the heart's ability to recover from oxygen deprivation. This suggests that certain EMF exposures might actually help protect heart tissue from damage during cardiac events.
Why This Matters
This study represents a fascinating paradox in EMF research. While most EMF health research focuses on potential harms, this work demonstrates that specific, controlled electromagnetic exposures can actually trigger beneficial protective responses in heart tissue. The 8 microTesla exposure level used is relatively low, comparable to what you might encounter near some household appliances, though the controlled laboratory conditions differ significantly from real-world exposure patterns. What makes this research particularly noteworthy is its exploration of hormesis - the biological principle that low doses of potentially harmful agents can sometimes trigger beneficial adaptive responses. The science demonstrates that EMF effects on biological systems are far more nuanced than simple harm-versus-safety models suggest. This doesn't mean all EMF exposure is beneficial, but it does highlight why blanket statements about electromagnetic fields miss the complexity of biological responses.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.008 mG
- Source/Device
- 60 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 30 min
Exposure Context
This study used 0.008 mG for magnetic fields:
- 400x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 80x 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
We have examined the hemodynamic changes in concert with EMF pre-conditioning and the induction of hsp70 to determine whether improved myocardial function occurs following I-R injury in Sprague–Dawley rats.
Animals were exposed to EMF (60 Hz, 8 µT) for 30 min prior to I-R. Ischemia was then induced by liga...
Significant upregulation of the HSP70 gene and increased hsp70 levels were measured in response to E...
In conclusion, non-invasive EMF induction of hsp70 preserved myocardial function and has the potential to improve tolerance to ischemic injury.
Show BibTeX
@article{i_2008_myocardial_function_improved_by_785,
author = {George I and Geddis MS and Lill Z and Lin H and Gomez T and Blank M and Oz MC and Goodman R.},
title = {Myocardial function improved by electromagnetic field induction of stress protein hsp70.},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1002/jcp.21461},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jcp.21461},
}