Experimental model for ELF-EMF exposure: Concern for human health

Abstract

Low frequency (LF) electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are abundantly present in modern society and in the last 20 years the interest about the possible effect of extremely low frequency (ELF) EMFs on human health has increased progressively. Epidemiological studies, designed to verify whether EMF exposure may be a potential risk factor for health, have led to controversial results. The possible association between EMFs and an increased incidence of childhood leukemia, brain tumors or neurodegenerative diseases was not fully elucidated. On the other hand, EMFs are widely used, in neurology, psychiatry, rheumatology, orthopedics and dermatology, both in diagnosis and in therapy. In vitro studies may help to evaluate the mechanism by which LF-EMFs affect biological systems. In vitro model of wound healing used keratinocytes (HaCaT), neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y) as a model for analysis of differentiation, metabolism and functions related to neurodegenerative processes, and monocytic cell line (THP-1) was used as a model for inflammation and cytokines production, while leukemic cell line (K562) was used as a model for hematopoietic differentiation. MCP-1, a chemokine that regulates the migration and infiltration of memory T cells, natural killer (NK), monocytes and epithelial cells, has been demonstrated to be induced and involved in various diseases. Since, varying the parameters of EMFs different effects may be observed, we have studied MCP-1 expression in HaCaT, SH-SY5Y, THP-1 and K562 exposed to a sinusoidal EMF at 50 Hz frequency with a flux density of 1 mT (rms). Our preliminary results showed that EMF-exposure differently modifies the expression of MCP-1 in different cell types. Thus, the MCP-1 expression needs to be better determined, with additional studies, with different parameters and times of exposure to ELF-EMF.

Effects of extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) on catalase, cytochrome P450 and nitric oxide synthase in erythro-leukemic cells

“…The biological effects of ELFEMFs have been the subject of more extensive studies since they can penetrate deeper into tissues [6,13,14,55]. Several epidemiological studies linked ELF-EMFs with an increased risk of cancer, for instance childhood leukemia, brain cancer, breast cancer, kidney cancer, cancer of the nervous system, lymphoma as well as cardiovascular diseases [7,32,45,48].…”

Measurement of Heart Rate Variation owing to the Effect of EMF Waves

“…One of the safety aspects of EMF that should be assessed was the coupling with active and passive metallic implant in the human body as a significant part of the population bears metallic devices including orthopaedic plates, rods, screws, prosthesis, dental implants, stents, electrode wires or electronic devices. [12,13] The preliminary results show that EMF exposure differently modifies different cell types. The low frequency electromagnetic fields are produced by electrical devices, high tension electrical distribution networks, residential and occupational sources and power lines.…”

Electromagnetic Field Therapy and Immune Mechanisms Which Are Involved in Anti-Inflammatory Response

“…ELF-EMF interact with the immune response and particularly with the activity of the monocyte -derived macrophages that fight against the pathogens by releasing ROS and cytokines. Inflammatory cytokines are intermediates in the inflammatory process, while free radicals are intermediates in the natural processes like mitochondrial metabolism and a key feature of phagocytosis [1,3,9]. Low-frequency electric fields influence all systems characterized by charged particles as the human body.…”

“…EMF might be a stimulus to induce an "activated state" of the cell such as phagocytosis, which then enhances the release of free radicals. In the recent years, the interest in the appliances that emit extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) has rapidly increased since the results that were very good in comparison with other treatments used for infections and for healing tissue [3,14].…”