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The morphological and molecular changes of brain cells exposed to direct current electric field stimulation.

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Pelletier SJ, Lagacé M, St-Amour I, Arsenault D, Cisbani G, Chabrat A, Fecteau S, Lévesque M, Cicchetti F. · 2014

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Brain cells of the central nervous system responded to direct current electric fields in terms of morphological shape and molecular expression of certain proteins.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers tested various intensities of direct current electric fields (0, 25, 50, and 100V/m) on neurons, microglia, and astrocytes in a controlled laboratory setting. Neurons developed an elongated cell body shape with neurite outgrowth associated with a significant increase in growth associated protein-43. BV2 microglial cells showed distinct morphological changes with an increase in cyclooxygenase-2 expression, and these changes depended on whether the cells had already been activated with lipopolysaccharide. Astrocytes displayed elongated cell bodies with cellular filopodia that were oriented perpendicularly to the direct current electric field.

Why This Matters

The study examined morphological assessments of the cells, viability, as well as shape and fiber outgrowth relative to the orientation of the direct current electric field. Researchers also used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and western immunoblotting to identify which molecular pathways were affected by direct current electric fields. Fetal midbrain dopaminergic explants grown in a collagen gel matrix showed a reorientation of their neurites towards the cathode. The researchers suggested that these findings could help in understanding the mechanisms underlying the clinical benefits of direct current electric field stimulation.

Exposure Details

Electric Field
0, 25, 50, and 100 V/m

Study Details

The aim of this study is to observe The morphological and molecular changes of brain cells exposed to direct current electric field stimulation.

Here, we tested various intensities of direct current electric fields (0, 25, 50, and 100V/m) in a w...

In response to direct current electric field, neurons developed an elongated cell body shape with ne...

We show that cells of the central nervous system can respond to direct current electric fields both in terms of their morphological shape and molecular expression of certain proteins, and this in turn can help us to begin understand the mechanisms underlying the clinical benefits of direct current electric field.

Cite This Study
Pelletier SJ, Lagacé M, St-Amour I, Arsenault D, Cisbani G, Chabrat A, Fecteau S, Lévesque M, Cicchetti F. (2014). The morphological and molecular changes of brain cells exposed to direct current electric field stimulation. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2014 Dec 7. pii: pyu090.
Show BibTeX
@article{sj_2014_the_morphological_and_molecular_692,
  author = {Pelletier SJ and Lagacé M and St-Amour I and Arsenault D and Cisbani G and Chabrat A and Fecteau S and Lévesque M and Cicchetti F.},
  title = {The morphological and molecular changes of brain cells exposed to direct current electric field stimulation.},
  year = {2014},
  
  url = {https://academic.oup.com/ijnp/article/18/5/pyu090/785203?login=true},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

The study investigated the responses of neurons, microglia, and astrocytes to direct current electric field stimulation.
Neurons developed an elongated cell body shape with neurite outgrowth that was associated with a significant increase in growth associated protein-43.
Astrocytes displayed elongated cell bodies with cellular filopodia that were oriented perpendicularly to the direct current electric field.
The researchers tested direct current electric field intensities of 0, 25, 50, and 100V/m.
The morphological changes and increase in cyclooxygenase-2 expression seen in BV2 microglial cells were dependent on whether they had already been activated with lipopolysaccharide.