Medical/biological study (experimental study)

No effect of pulsed electromagnetic fields on PC12 and HL-60 cells med./bio.

By: Sontag W, Kalka D

Published in: Radiat Environ Biophys 2006; 45 (1): 63-71

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: 250 mHz Modulation type: pulsed Exposure duration: 5 s to 40 s depending on the number of pulses applied	magnetic flux density: 4 T maximum (100% intensity; corresponding EF of 575 V/m) magnetic flux density: 0.25 T minimum

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	250 mHz
Type	magnetic field
Waveform	pulsed
Exposure duration	5 s to 40 s depending on the number of pulses applied

Modulation

Modulation type	pulsed
Pulse type	monophasic
Additional info	The magnetic field of a single pulse increased rapidly during the first 100 µs to a maximum and exponentially decreased afterwards within 1 ms. The time between two pulses was about 5 s. The frequency of a single pulse was estimated to be 12.4 kHz.

Exposure setup

Exposure source	double coil each with 50 mm diameter with a hole diameter of 10 mm
Setup	The double coil was fixed with the front of the coil in upside position. 35 mm Petri dishes were placed on top of the double coil and shielded against heat and vibrations with a 2 mm thick plate of plastic foam. Sham exposed dishes were placed in the same room but outside the influence of the coil.
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.
Additional info	The dishes were exposed to non-homogeneous MF. The MF and EF varied from +85% to -85% and 15 to 100%, respectively if the dishes were positioned in the middle position between the two turns and from 50 to 100% and 0 to 50%, respectively if positioned in the middle of each turn. The dishes were exposed in the middle of the coil, on the left side on the coil with the north magnetic direction, or on the right side of the coil with south magnetic direction.

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
magnetic flux density	4 T	maximum	calculated	-	100% intensity; corresponding EF of 575 V/m
magnetic flux density	0.25 T	minimum	calculated	-	-

Additional parameter details

The intensities used were 100%, 50%, 20%, 10% and 5%.

Exposed system:

intact cell/cell culture
HL-60 (human acute myeloid leukaemia cells) and PC12 (rat pheochromocytoma cells)

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

molecular biosynthesis: induction of heat shock protein Hsp72 (measured in HL-60 cells only; ELISA); neurotransmitter release (release of dopamine, noradrenaline, acetylcholine; measured in PC12 cells; BI-CAT-ELISA, fluorimetry)
cell function: signal transduction (content of second messenger cAMP; ELISA)
cell viability/cell division/proliferation: cell survival (cell viability; cell counting, almar Blue Assay; measurement of fluorescence)

Investigated system:

isolated bio./chem. substance
intact cell/cell culture
cell supernatants and lysates

Time of investigation:

after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

The data showed no effect on cell viability or on the content of cAMP, Hsp72, dopamine, noradrenaline, and acetylcholine in the two tumour cell lines after PEMF exposure under various conditions. Thus, single pulse PEMF exposure at the conditions employed here is not toxic for the two different cell culture systems (HL-60 and PC12 cells). This is in agreement with the conclusion that single-pulse and repetitive TMS in animals and humans is generally regarded as safe without lasting side effects.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study

Study funded by

not stated/no funding

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