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Direct current electrical fields induce apoptosis in oral mucosa cancer cells by NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species

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Wartenberg M, Wirtz N, Grob A, Niedermeier W, Hescheler J, Peters SC, Sauer H · 2008

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Direct current electrical fields triggered apoptosis in oral mucosa cancer cells through reactive oxygen species generation.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed UM-SCC-14-C oral mucosa cancer cells to direct current electrical fields with strengths between 2 and 16 V/m for 24 hours and measured effects on cell growth and death. Exposure dose-dependently decreased cell proliferation and was associated with cell cycle arrest. Electrical field treatment at 4 V/m for 24 hours increased apoptosis, and blocking free radicals abolished those apoptosis markers.

Why This Matters

Robust reactive oxygen species generation and increased expression of NADPH oxidase subunits as well as Hsp70 were observed. Electrical field treatment at 4 V/m for 24 hours increased expression of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase and decreased intracellular levels of reduced glutathione, while catalase expression remained unchanged. When cells were pre-treated with the free radical scavenger N-acetyl cysteine or the superoxide dismutase mimetic EUK-8, induction of caspase-3 and PARP-1 was abolished, suggesting apoptosis depended on reactive oxygen species.

Exposure Details

Electric Field
2 and 16 V/m
Exposure Duration
24 h

Exposure Context

This study used 2 and 16 V/m for electric fields:

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.

Study Details

In the present study the mechanisms of apoptosis of oral mucosa cancer cells in response to electromagnetic fields was investigated.

Direct current (DC) electrical fields with field strengths between 2 and 16 V/m, applied for 24 h to...

Cite This Study
Wartenberg M, Wirtz N, Grob A, Niedermeier W, Hescheler J, Peters SC, Sauer H (2008). Direct current electrical fields induce apoptosis in oral mucosa cancer cells by NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species Bioelectromagnetics. 29(1):47-54, 2008.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2008_direct_current_electrical_fields_478,
  author = {Wartenberg M and Wirtz N and Grob A and Niedermeier W and Hescheler J and Peters SC and Sauer H},
  title = {Direct current electrical fields induce apoptosis in oral mucosa cancer cells by NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species},
  year = {2008},
  doi = {10.1002/bem.20361},
  url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bem.20361},
}
DOI: 10.1002/bem.20361

Cited By (44 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

The researchers studied UM-SCC-14-C oral mucosa cancer cells.
Direct current electrical fields with strengths between 2 and 16 V/m were applied for 24 hours.
Exposure dose-dependently decreased cell proliferation and was associated with upregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors linked to cell cycle arrest.
Blocking reactive oxygen species with free radical scavengers abolished the apoptosis markers, suggesting apoptosis was initiated by ROS generation.
Apoptosis was evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis of cleaved caspase-3 and poly-(ADP-ribose)-polymerase-1 (PARP-1).