Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Exposure to 900 MHz electromagnetic field induces an unbalance between pro-apoptotic and pro-survival signals in T-lymphoblastoid leukemia CCRF-CEM cells med./bio.

By: Marinelli F, La Sala D, Cicciotti G, Cattini L, Trimarchi C, Putti S, Zamparelli A, Giuliani L, Tomassetti G, Cinti C

Published in: J Cell Physiol 2004; 198 (2): 324-332

Download citation in RIS format

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: 900 MHz Modulation type: CW Exposure duration: continuous for 2, 4, 12, 24, and 48 h	electric field strength: 2.96 V/m magnetic field strength: 8 mA/m power density: 23.68 mW/m² SAR: 3.5 mW/kg

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	900 MHz
Type	electromagnetic field
Charakteristic	guided field
Exposure duration	continuous for 2, 4, 12, 24, and 48 h
Additional info	Stuchly MA, Stuchly SS, 1996. Experimental radio and microwave dosimetry. In: Polk C, Postow E, editors. Biological effects of electromagnetic fields. New York: CRC press, Inc. pp 295-336.

Modulation

Modulation type	CW

Exposure setup

Exposure source	TEM cell
Chamber	The TEM cell placed inside an incubator (37°C, 95% humidity and 5% CO₂) was a 3 mm copper box of 19.25 x 20 x 50 cm with a tapered horizontal copper septum dividing the inner space into two equal parts. To allow gaseous exchange between the incubator and the cell cultures, one side of TEM wall was made of a 2.5-mm size copper-mesh. The geometry and field propagation have been well described in literature [Stuchly and Stuchly, 1996]. The electric field was perpendicular to the septum plane.
Setup	Five Petri dishes of 10 cm diameter containing 20 ml of medium were placed in the TEM cell at 1 cm distance above and below the septum.
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.
Additional info	Continuous temperature monitoring detected no more than 0.15°C of difference. Sham exposure was performed for 2, 24, and 48 h comparing cells inside and outside the TEM cell.

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
electric field strength	2.96 V/m	-	measured	-	-
magnetic field strength	8 mA/m	-	measured	-	-
power density	23.68 mW/m²	-	-	-	-
SAR	3.5 mW/kg	-	-	-	-

Additional parameter details

50 Hz electric and magnetic field did not exceed 0.8 V/m and 0.16 µT, respectively.

Measurement and calculation details

The magnetic and electric field in the TEM cell were measured using a spectrum analyser equipped with a 1-cm magnetic loop or a 3-cm electrospherical probe. Detected values matched the theoretically expected values within the systematic error range. A directional coupler, an RF detector, and a scalar meter with a CRT display were used to optimise and continuously check the input return loss of the TEM cell. Properly adjusted, the system measured a return loss of 27 dB with and without the Petri dishes inside resulting in a field uniformity of better than 2 dB.

Exposed system:

intact cell/cell culture
CCRF-CCM cells (human acute T-lymphoblastoid leukemia)

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

genotoxicity/mutation: apoptosis (DNA ladder assay)
cell function: gene expression (western blot)
cell viability/cell division/proliferation: cell viability (cell stain); cell cycle state (flow cytometry (FACS))

Investigated system:

intact cell/cell culture

Time of investigation:

after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

At short time exposure (2-12 h) early activation of both p53-dependend and independend apoptotic pathways, and an induction of DNA breaks were observed.
In contrast, long time exposure (24-48 h) leads to the activation of pro-survival Ras pathways and an increased DNA synthesis.
These findings suggest that 900 MHz EMF exposure is capable to induce genotoxic damage and changes in gene expression.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study

Study funded by

Istituto Superiore per la Prevenzione e la Sicurezza del Lavoro (ISPESL; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Prevention), Italy
Ministero dell' Università e della Ricerca (MIUR (formerly MURST (Ministero dell' Università e della Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica); Ministry of University and Research), Italy
National Research Council (CNR; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche); Italy
WWF, Italy

Comments on this article

Marinelli F et al. (2004): Erratum: Exposure to 900 MHz electromagnetic field induces an unbalance between pro-apoptotic and pro-survival signals in T-lymphoblastoid leukemia CCRF-CEM cells

Trivino Pardo JC et al. (2012): Microwave electromagnetic field regulates gene expression in T-lymphoblastoid leukemia CCRF-CEM cell line exposed to 900 MHz
Naziroglu M et al. (2012): 2.45-Gz wireless devices induce oxidative stress and proliferation through cytosolic Ca(2+) influx in human leukemia cancer cells
Yilmaz F et al. (2008): Whole-body exposure of radiation emitted from 900 MHz mobile phones does not seem to affect the levels of anti-apoptotic bcl-2 protein
Palumbo R et al. (2008): Exposure to 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation induces caspase 3 activation in proliferating human lymphocytes
Joubert V et al. (2007): No apoptosis is induced in rat cortical neurons exposed to GSM phone fields
Koyama S et al. (2007): Effects of 2.45 GHz electromagnetic fields with a wide range of SARs on bacterial and HPRT gene mutations
Chauhan V et al. (2007): Evaluating the biological effects of intermittent 1.9 GHz pulse-modulated radiofrequency fields in a series of human-derived cell lines
Lantow M et al. (2006): Comparative study of cell cycle kinetics and induction of apoptosis or necrosis after exposure of human mono mac 6 cells to radiofrequency radiation