Effect of radiofrequency radiation in cultured mammalian cells: A review

Abstract

The use of mobile phone related technologies will continue to increase in the foreseeable future worldwide. This has drawn attention to the probable interaction of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation with different biological targets. Studies have been conducted on various organisms to evaluate the alleged ill-effect on health. We have therefore attempted to review those work limited to in vitro cultured cells where irradiation conditions were well controlled. Different investigators have studied varied endpoints like DNA damage, cell cycle arrest, reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, cellular morphology and viability to weigh the genotoxic effect of such radiation by utilizing different frequencies and dose rates under various irradiation conditions that include continuous or pulsed exposures and also amplitude- or frequency-modulated waves. Cells adapt to change in their intra and extracellular environment from different chemical and physical stimuli through organized alterations in gene or protein expression that result in the induction of stress responses. Many studies have focused on such effects for risk estimations. Though the effects of microwave radiation on cells are often not pronounced, some investigators have therefore combined radiofrequency radiation with other physical or chemical agents to observe whether the effects of such agents were augmented or not. Such reports in cultured cellular systems have also included in this review. The findings from different workers have revealed that, effects were dependent on cell type and the endpoint selection. However, contradictory findings were also observed in same cell types with same assay, in such cases the specific absorption rate (SAR) values were significant.

Mobile phone specific electromagnetic fields induce transient DNA damage and nucleotide excision repair in serum-deprived human glioblastoma cells

“…As mentioned above, only few studies have been published so far about the effects of the UMTS signal on DNA stability. In three former investigations, SCGE experiments were conducted with lymphocytes from healthy volunteers with consistently negative results (for review see IARC [ 1 ] and D Manna, R Ghosh [ 28 ]). Furthermore, one article with the human primary fibroblast line ES-1 was published; the experiments were conducted under the same experimental conditions used in the present study [ 29 ].…”

The interaction between electromagnetic fields at megahertz, gigahertz and terahertz frequencies with cells, tissues and organisms: risks and potential

“…Thus, the effect of MMW strongly depends on the nature of the biological subject and the parameters of the stimulus (discussed above). More on the effect of MMW on cells in in vitro and in vivo experiments can be found in more specialized systematical reviews [ 91 , 102 , 103 ].…”

The study of the sensitivity of human blood cells to microwave radiation.

“…Избыточное образование свободных радикалов в организме или окислительный (оксидативный) стресс, вызванный воздействием ЭМИ данных диапазонов частот в последнее время рассматривается некоторыми специалистами как один из основных механизмов биологической активности радио-и микроволн [1][2][3]. В ряде исследований показано, что микроволны могут влиять на различные процессы, связанные с развитием окислительного стресса: изменение структуры и функции ферментов, в частности, усиление активности пероксидаз [4][5], интенсивность свободно-радикальных процессов в клетках и тканях и усиление активации клеток, изменение ответа клеток иммунной системы и модуляцию иммунного ответа организма в целом [6][7]…”