Ma Q et al. · 2016
Researchers exposed embryonic brain stem cells to 50 Hz electromagnetic fields from power lines and electrical devices. The EMF exposure significantly enhanced the cells' development into neurons and promoted growth of neural connections. This suggests electromagnetic fields could influence brain formation during early development.
Falone S et al. · 2016
Researchers exposed human neuroblastoma cells (a type of brain cancer cell) to 50 Hz magnetic fields at 1 milliTesla and found the fields made the cancer cells grow faster and become more aggressive. The magnetic field exposure triggered protective mechanisms in the cancer cells that helped them survive and multiply more effectively. This suggests that power frequency magnetic fields might promote the growth of existing brain tumors.
Calabrò E. · 2016
Researchers exposed human brain-like cells to a 50 Hz magnetic field (the type emitted by power lines and household appliances) for 4 hours and found significant changes in cellular proteins. The magnetic field caused proteins to clump together abnormally and altered their structural bonds, which are critical for proper brain cell function. These molecular changes suggest that everyday electromagnetic fields may disrupt normal cellular processes in brain tissue.
Zhu W, Cui Y, Feng X, Li Y, Zhang W, Xu J, Wang H, Lv S. · 2016
Researchers exposed rats to 2450 MHz microwave radiation (WiFi frequency) for 6 minutes and found significant heart muscle cell death. The microwaves disrupted cellular energy production and increased harmful stress, demonstrating how brief microwave exposure can damage cardiovascular tissue through specific biological mechanisms.
Şahin D et al. · 2016
Researchers exposed female rats to 3G mobile phone radiation (2100 MHz) for either 10 or 40 days to study DNA damage in brain tissue. They found increased DNA damage after 10 days of exposure, but surprisingly, this damage decreased after 40 days, suggesting the brain may develop protective mechanisms over time. The study used radiation levels similar to what you'd experience during heavy mobile phone use.
Kerimoğlu G et al. · 2016
Researchers exposed adolescent male rats to cell phone-level radiation (900 MHz) for one hour daily during their development and examined their hearts as adults. The exposed rats showed significant heart damage including increased oxidative stress, structural changes to heart muscle cells, and higher rates of cell death compared to unexposed controls. This suggests that EMF exposure during critical developmental periods may cause lasting cardiovascular damage.
Esmekaya MA et al. · 2016
Researchers studied whether cellular phone radiation affects oxidative stress and nitric oxide levels in mouse brain during epileptic seizures induced by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). Eight-week-old mice were divided into groups: a PTZ-only control group, a group exposed to 15 minutes of radiation before and 30 minutes after PTZ treatment, and a group exposed to 30 minutes of radiation before and 30 minutes after PTZ treatment. Lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide levels increased significantly in the radiation-exposed groups compared to the control group, while glutathione levels were significantly lower in those same groups.
Yin C, Luo X, Duan Y, Duan W, Zhang H, He Y, Sun G, Sun X · 2016
Researchers investigated whether lotus seedpod procyanidins (LSPCs) could protect primary cultured rat hippocampal neurons from extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF)-induced neurotoxicity. ELF-EMF exposure significantly decreased cell viability and increased the number of apoptotic cells compared with control. LSPCs evidently protected the hippocampal neurons against ELF-EMF-induced cell damage, and the researchers concluded this occurred through inhibiting oxidative stress and a mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.
Yang LL et al. · 2016
Researchers investigated whether electromagnetic pulse (EMP) exposure could activate brain microglia via the p38 MAPK pathway in rats. The expression of OX-42, a marker of microglia activation, increased significantly at 1, 6 and 12 hours after EMP exposure, then recovered to sham group levels at 24 hours. Levels of NO, TNF-α and IL-10 also changed significantly in vivo and in vitro after EMP exposure. Results suggested that EMP exposure at 200 kV/m, 200 pulses could activate microglia in rat brain and affect its secretory function, with the p38 pathway involved.
Wu SX, Xu YQ, Di GQ, Jiang JH, Xin L, Wu TY · 2016
Researchers exposed male mice to environmental static electric fields for 35 days and measured antioxidant enzyme activity in liver homogenates. Superoxide dismutase activity increased significantly in both exposed groups on the 7th and 35th days, while glutathione S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, and malonaldehyde showed only minimal changes. The researchers concluded that there was a weak relationship between exposure to environmental static electric fields and hepatic oxidative stress in living organisms.
Tang R, Xu Y, Ma F, Ren J, Shen S, Du Y, Hou Y, Wang T · 2016
Researchers studied the effect of extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) on a lung metastatic melanoma mouse model and on the differentiation of regulatory T cells (Treg cells). Tumor-bearing mice were exposed to ELF-MFs at 0.4 T and 7.5 Hz for 2 hours per day for 27 days. Metastatic tumor burden in the lung was significantly decreased after ELF-MF treatment, and expressions of MMP2, MMP9, and Foxp3 in lung nodules significantly decreased in the ELF-MF group. In cell experiments, ELF-MF treatment reduced the Treg cell differentiation rate from 32.0% to 22.1%, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), and inhibited p-AKT in T cells.
Martínez MA, Úbeda A, Moreno J, Trillo MÁ · 2016
Researchers investigated how power frequency magnetic fields affect cell proliferation in NB69 cells and the role of p38 and JNK kinases and reactive oxygen species in that response. NB69 cultures were exposed to a 100 µT magnetic field, either intermittently for 24, 42 or 63 hours, or continuously for periods of 15 to 120 minutes, with or without p38 or JNK inhibitors and an antioxidant. Field exposure induced transient activation of p38, JNK, and ERK1/2, but only the p38 inhibitor blocked the proliferative effect. The antioxidant NAC blocked the field effects on cell proliferation and p38 activation, but not those on ERK1/2 activation.
Mahmoudinasab H, Sanie-Jahromi F, Saadat M · 2016
Researchers designed the study to evaluate the effect of EMFs on the mRNA levels of seven antioxidant genes in human MCF-7 cells. Three exposure patterns were tested at two field intensities, 0.25 mT and 0.50 mT, each with a total exposure time of 30 minutes. The MTT assay showed no cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 cells under any of the three exposure conditions at either field intensity. Under the 15-min-on/15-min-off pattern, the 0.50 mT intensity was associated with more up- or down-regulated genes than 0.25 mT, a statistically significant difference (P=0.041), while no such difference was found for the other two exposure patterns.
Luo X et al. · 2016
Researchers tested whether lotus seedpod procyanidins (LSPCs) could protect mice against oxidative stress caused by extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) exposure. Mice were exposed to ELF-EMF at 8 mT, 4 hours per day for 28 consecutive days, and blood and cerebral cortex were analyzed for antioxidant indices. LSPCs treatment augmented SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, GR and GST activity and significantly lowered MDA levels.
Kesari KK, Juutilainen J, Luukkonen J, Naarala J. · 2016
Hu Y et al. · 2016
Gok DK et al. · 2016
Researchers divided Wistar albino female rats into four groups: a control group, a prenatal-exposure group, a postnatal-exposure group, and a combined prenatal-plus-postnatal-exposure group. Pregnant rats in the prenatal and combined groups were exposed to a 50 Hz electric field at 12 kV/m for 1 hour per day during pregnancy, while postnatal animals were exposed for 68 days after birth. The latencies of visual evoked potential components were significantly prolonged in all exposed groups compared with controls. Retina TBARS levels, a marker of lipid peroxidation, were significantly elevated in all experimental groups compared with controls.
Feng B, Ye C, Qiu L, Chen L, Fu Y, Sun W · 2016
Human amniotic FL cells were exposed to a 50-Hz magnetic field for different durations or intensities, then incubated with staurosporine for 4 hours. Magnetic field exposure alone had no significant effect on early apoptosis or cell viability. When cells were also treated with staurosporine, magnetic field exposure had a protective effect against early apoptosis, and this effect could be abolished by MPT inhibitors. The anti-apoptotic effect was completely eliminated when Akt was inhibited, suggesting that Akt activation was necessary for the effect.
Feng B, Dai A, Chen L, Qiu L, Fu Y, Sun W. · 2016
Researchers exposed human amniotic epithelial (FL) cells to a 50-Hz magnetic field to investigate the molecular mechanisms behind magnetic field-induced epidermal growth factor receptor clustering. Exposing FL cells to the magnetic field at intensities higher than 0.2 mT for 15 minutes enhanced total reactive oxygen species production. Blocking the NADPH oxidase enzyme with the inhibitor DPI suppressed magnetic field-induced cytoplasmic superoxide production and subsequent EGFR clustering, while mitochondrial superoxide production was not affected.
Feng B, Qiu L, Ye C, Chen L, Fu Y, Sun W. · 2016
Researchers exposed human amniotic epithelial cells to a 50-Hz magnetic field at 0.4 mT and examined mitochondrial permeability, mitochondrial membrane potential, and cytochrome c release. Exposure to the magnetic field at 0.4 mT for 60 min transiently induced mitochondrial permeability transition and Cyt-c release, although there was no significant effect on mitochondrial membrane potential. Cells exposed to the magnetic field showed increased intracellular reactive oxidative species levels and GSK-3β dephosphorylation, and the induced mitochondrial permeability transition was attenuated by a ROS scavenger or GSK-3β inhibitor.
Falone S et al. · 2016
Researchers exposed SK-N-BE(2) drug-resistant human neuroblastoma cells to a pulsed electromagnetic field and then challenged the cells with hydrogen peroxide to measure oxidative stress responses. The PEMF increased MnSOD-based antioxidant protection and reduced ROS production in response to a pro-oxidant challenge. The researchers suggested their work might lay foundation for the development of non-invasive PEMF-based approaches aimed at elevating endogenous antioxidant properties in cellular or tissue models.
Duong CN, Kim JY · 2016
Researchers studied whether EMF exposure could protect a human microglial cell line, HMO6, from cell death caused by oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD), a model of ischemic injury. HMO6 cells were cultured for 4 hours under OGD with or without exposure to EMF at different combinations of frequencies and intensities, and cell survival, intracellular calcium, and ROS levels were measured. Among the combinations tested, 50 Hz/1 mT EMF was the most potent at reducing OGD-induced cell death and lowering intracellular calcium and ROS levels. A significant but less potent protective effect was also found at 10 Hz/1 mT, while no protective effect was found at other combinations.
Benassi B et al. · 2016
Researchers exposed SH-SY5Y cells to an extremely low frequency magnetic field set up to reproduce environmental prolonged exposure to ELF-MF (50 Hz, 1 mT) and then treated the cells with the pro-Parkinson's toxin MPP+. ELF-MF alone did not affect cell survival, shape, or morphology, but it did significantly impair redox homeostasis and thiol content, triggering an increase in protein carbonylation. When MPP+ was added to ELF-MF-exposed cells, toxicity was highly enhanced, with significant increases in ROS levels, oxidative damage, and caspase-dependent apoptosis. Pre-incubation with the thiol antioxidants N-acetyl-L-cysteine and GSH ethyl-ester significantly reduced oxidative damage and protected cells from death caused by the combined ELF-MF/MPP+ treatment.
Ansari AM et al. · 2016
Researchers exposed male adult NMRI mice to an extremely low frequency magnetic field at 0.5 mT and 50 Hz, either as a single 2-hour session or for 2 hours a day over 2 weeks. Depressive-like behavior was measured using the Forced Swimming Test, which records immobility time. Long-term exposure significantly reduced immobility time, while short-term exposure did not alter it.
Akpınar D et al. · 2016
Researchers exposed rats to an electric field at 12 kV/m for 1 hour per day, dividing them into control, prenatal, postnatal, and prenatal-plus-postnatal groups. The mismatch negativity amplitude was decreased in all exposed groups compared with the control group. Levels of 4-HNE, a marker of lipid peroxidation, were significantly increased in the postnatal group compared with the control group, while protein carbonyl levels were significantly decreased in the prenatal-plus-postnatal group compared with the control, prenatal, and postnatal groups.
