Medical/biological study (experimental study)

The heat shock-induced cell cycle arrest is attenuated by weak electromagnetic fields med./bio.

By: Tokalov SV, Gutzeit HO

Published in: Cell Prolif 2003; 36 (2): 101-111

Aim of study (acc. to author)

To study stress induced effects in human acute leukaemia cells exposed to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields and/or heat shock.

Background/further details

Four groups were performed: 1.) control group, 2.) extremely low frequency electromagnetic field exposure alone, 3.) heat shock at 39, 41 or 43 °C alone, and 4.) co-exposure (heat shock (41 °C) plus extremely low frequency electromagnetic field exposure).
Cells were analysed 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 days after exposure.

Endpoint

cell viability/cell division/proliferation: cell cycle, cell proliferation

Exposure

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: 50 Hz Exposure duration: continuous for 30 min	magnetic flux density: 60 µT unspecified (±0.2 µT)

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	50 Hz
Type	magnetic field
Waveform	sinusoidal
Exposure duration	continuous for 30 min

Exposure setup

Exposure source	Merritt coils
Setup	A plastic chamber (1800 x 1400 x 60 mm³) containing cell cultures was placed in the center of the Merritt coils.

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
magnetic flux density	60 µT	unspecified	measured	-	±0.2 µT

Additional parameter details

The stray MF was less than 1 µT.

Measurement and calculation details

During the exposure, the magnetic field was controlled by adjusting the coil current with a precision of ±1.5% using a Digital-Multimeter.

Exposed system:

intact cell/cell culture
HL-60 (human acute myeloid leukaemia cells)

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

cell viability/cell division/proliferation: cell cycle, cell proliferation (propidium iodide, carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) staining, flow cytometry)

Investigated system:

intact cell/cell culture

Time of investigation:

after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Compared with control group extremely low frequency electromagnetic field exposure alone neither changed the rate of cell division nor the total number of cells or the percentage of dividing cells.
Co-exposed cells showed significant smaller fraction of cell cycle arrested cells compared with group 3 (heat shock). Additionally, an increased total number of cells and higher percentage of proliferating cells was observed in co-exposed cells compared with cells exposed to heat shock alone.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study

Study funded by

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG; German Research Foundation)
Freistaat Sachsen (Free State Saxony), Germany

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