Electromagnetic fields inhibit endothelin-1 production stimulated by thrombin in endothelial cells.
Morimoto S, Takahashi T, Shimizu K, Kanda T, Okaishi K, Okuro M, Murai H, Nishimura Y, Nomura K, Tsuchiya H, Ohashi I, Matsumoto M. · 2005
View Original AbstractEMF exposure directly alters blood vessel cell function by reducing vasoconstrictor hormone production through nitric oxide pathways.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed blood vessel cells to electromagnetic fields and found that EMF reduced production of endothelin-1, a hormone that causes blood vessels to constrict. The EMF effects worked through nitric oxide pathways and varied depending on the type of blood vessel cells tested. This suggests EMF exposure can directly alter how blood vessels function at the cellular level.
Why This Matters
This study reveals that electromagnetic fields can directly influence cardiovascular function by altering the production of vasoactive substances in blood vessel cells. The fact that EMF reduced endothelin-1 production through nitric oxide pathways demonstrates a clear biological mechanism by which EMF exposure affects vascular function. While the researchers didn't specify exposure levels, making it difficult to compare with everyday EMF sources, the dose-dependent effects suggest this isn't simply biological noise. What's particularly noteworthy is that different types of endothelial cells responded differently to EMF exposure, indicating that cardiovascular effects may vary throughout the vascular system. This adds to the growing body of evidence that EMF exposure has measurable biological effects on the cardiovascular system, not just the nervous system as commonly assumed.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
This study investigated the effect of EMF radiation on the production of endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor, by cultured endothelial cells
EMF radiation reduced ET-1 basal levels in human umbilical vein and microvascular endothelial cells,...
These results demonstrate that EMF radiation modulates ET-1 production in cultured vascular endothelial cells and the inhibitory effect of EMF radiation is, at least partly, mediated through a nitric oxide-related pathway.
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2005_electromagnetic_fields_inhibit_endothelin1_1675,
author = {Morimoto S and Takahashi T and Shimizu K and Kanda T and Okaishi K and Okuro M and Murai H and Nishimura Y and Nomura K and Tsuchiya H and Ohashi I and Matsumoto M.},
title = {Electromagnetic fields inhibit endothelin-1 production stimulated by thrombin in endothelial cells.},
year = {2005},
doi = {10.1177/147323000503300510},
url = {https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/147323000503300510},
}