Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Effects of global system for mobile communications 1800 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on gene and protein expression in MCF-7 cells med./bio.

By: Zeng Q, Chen G, Weng Y, Wang L, Chiang H, Lu D, Xu Z

Published in: Proteomics 2006; 6 (17): 4732-4738

Aim of study (acc. to author)

To study the effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure on gene and protein expression profiles in human breast cancer cell line MCF-7.

Endpoint

molecular biosynthesis: protein and gene expression

Exposure

- mobile communications
- digital mobile phone
- GSM

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: 1,800 MHz Modulation type: pulsed Exposure duration: intermittent, 5 min on/10 min off, for 24 h transcriptome analysis	SAR: 2 W/kg mean SAR: 3.5 W/kg mean
Exposure 2: 1,800 MHz Modulation type: pulsed Exposure duration: intermittent, 5 min on/10 min off, for 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h proteome analysis	SAR: 3.5 W/kg mean
Exposure 3: 1,800 MHz Modulation type: pulsed Exposure duration: continuous for 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h proteome analysis	SAR: 3.5 W/kg mean

General information

The computer controlled exposure system has been described in detail by the designer and other groups [Schönborn et al., 2001 and Diem et al., 2005].

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	1,800 MHz
Type	electromagnetic field
Charakteristic	guided field
Exposure duration	intermittent, 5 min on/10 min off, for 24 h
Additional info	transcriptome analysis

Modulation

Modulation type	pulsed
Duty cycle	12.5 %
Repetition frequency	217 Hz
Pulse type	rectangular
Additional info	GSM signal

Exposure setup

Exposure source	waveguide rectangular
Chamber	Two waveguides, one for RF and one for sham exposure, were placed inside a conventional incubator at 37°C, 5% CO₂ and 95% air.
Setup	Six 35-mm Petri dishes were placed in each waveguide in a dish holder holding them in the H-field maximum of the standing wave and exposed simultaneously in E polarization. The system enabled the exposure of monolayers of cells with a SAR non-uniformity of less than 30%.
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.
Additional info	The temperature of the system remained at 37 ± 0.1°C during the whole exposure duration, and the temperature difference between RF and sham exposed cultures never exceeded 0.1°C.

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
SAR	2 W/kg	mean	-	-	-
SAR	3.5 W/kg	mean	-	-	-

Exposure 2

Main characteristics

Frequency	1,800 MHz
Type	electromagnetic field
Charakteristic	guided field
Exposure duration	intermittent, 5 min on/10 min off, for 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h
Additional info	proteome analysis

Modulation

Modulation type	pulsed
Duty cycle	12.5 %
Repetition frequency	217 Hz
Pulse type	rectangular
Additional info	GSM signal

Exposure setup

Exposure source	same setup as exposure 1
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
SAR	3.5 W/kg	mean	-	-	-

Exposure 3

Main characteristics

Frequency	1,800 MHz
Type	electromagnetic field
Charakteristic	guided field
Exposure duration	continuous for 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h
Additional info	proteome analysis

Modulation

Modulation type	pulsed
Duty cycle	12.5 %
Repetition frequency	217 Hz
Pulse type	rectangular
Additional info	GSM signal

Exposure setup

Exposure source	same setup as exposure 1
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
SAR	3.5 W/kg	mean	-	-	-

Reference articles

Diem E et al. (2005): Non-thermal DNA breakage by mobile-phone radiation (1800 MHz) in human fibroblasts and in transformed GFSH-R17 rat granulosa cells in vitro
Schönborn F et al. (2001): Basis for optimization of in vitro exposure apparatus for health hazard evaluations of mobile communications

Exposed system:

intact cell/cell culture
MCF-7 (human breast cancer cell line)

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

molecular biosynthesis: protein and gene expression (Affymetrix GeneChip HG-U133A (DNA microarray); RT-PCR; two-dimensional gel electrophoresis)

Investigated system:

isolated bio./chem. substance
DNA/RNA

Time of investigation:

after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

DNA microarray analysis identified a handful of consistent changed genes after exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic field at specific absorption rates of up to 3.5 W/kg for 24 h. However, these differentially transcribed genes could not be further confirmed by RT-PCR assay.
Meanwhile, systematic proteome analysis revealed that a few but different proteins were differentially expressed under continuous or intermittent radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure at SAR of 3.5 W/kg for 24 h or less, implying that the observed effects might have occurred by chance.
In conclusion, the data do not provide convincing evidence that radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure under the present experimental conditions can produce distinct effects on gene and protein expression in the MCF-7 cells.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study

Study funded by

Ministry of Education, China
National Natural Science Foundation (NSFC), China
Zhejiang Provincial Health Bureau, China
Zhejiang Provincial Key Projects for Science and Technology, China
Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation, China

Zhijian C et al. (2013): Studying the protein expression in human B lymphoblastoid cells exposed to 1.8-GHz (GSM) radiofrequency radiation (RFR) with protein microarray
Bourthoumieu S et al. (2013): Study of p53 expression and post-transcriptional modifications after GSM-900 radiofrequency exposure of human amniotic cells
Fragopoulou AF et al. (2012): Brain proteome response following whole body exposure of mice to mobile phone or wireless DECT base radiation
Sakurai T et al. (2011): Analysis of gene expression in a human-derived glial cell line exposed to 2.45 GHz continuous radiofrequency electromagnetic fields
Roux D et al. (2011): Human keratinocytes in culture exhibit no response when exposed to short duration, low amplitude, high frequency (900 MHz) electromagnetic fields in a reverberation chamber
Lee KY et al. (2011): Effects of combined radiofrequency radiation exposure on the cell cycle and its regulatory proteins
Nylund R et al. (2010): Analysis of proteome response to the mobile phone radiation in two types of human primary endothelial cells
Kim KB et al. (2010): Two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis of radio-frequency radiation-exposed MCF7 breast cancer cells
Sekijima M et al. (2010): 2-GHz band CW and W-CDMA modulated radiofrequency fields have no significant effect on cell proliferation and gene expression profile in human cells
Gerner C et al. (2010): Increased protein synthesis by cells exposed to a 1,800-MHz radio-frequency mobile phone electromagnetic field, detected by proteome profiling
Nylund R et al. (2009): Proteomic Analysis of the Response of Human Endothelial Cell Line EA.hy926 to 1800 GSM Mobile Phone Radiation
Karinen A et al. (2008): Mobile phone radiation might alter protein expression in human skin
Paparini A et al. (2008): No evidence of major transcriptional changes in the brain of mice exposed to 1800 MHz GSM signal
Chauhan V et al. (2007): Analysis of gene expression in two human-derived cell lines exposed in vitro to a 1.9 GHz pulse-modulated radiofrequency field
Zhao R et al. (2007): Studying gene expression profile of rat neuron exposed to 1800 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields with cDNA microassay
Whitehead TD et al. (2006): The number of genes changing expression after chronic exposure to Code Division Multiple Access or Frequency DMA radiofrequency radiation does not exceed the false-positive rate
Leszczynski D et al. (2006): Questions and answers concerning applicability of proteomics and transcriptomics in EMF research
Nylund R et al. (2006): Mobile phone radiation causes changes in gene and protein expression in human endothelial cell lines and the response seems to be genome- and proteome-dependent
Remondini D et al. (2006): Gene expression changes in human cells after exposure to mobile phone microwaves
Chauhan V et al. (2006): Analysis of proto-oncogene and heat-shock protein gene expression in human derived cell-lines exposed in vitro to an intermittent 1.9 GHz pulse-modulated radiofrequency field
Qutob SS et al. (2006): Microarray gene expression profiling of a human glioblastoma cell line exposed in vitro to a 1.9 GHz pulse-modulated radiofrequency field
Belyaev IY et al. (2006): Exposure of rat brain to 915 MHz GSM microwaves induces changes in gene expression but not double stranded DNA breaks or effects on chromatin conformation
Nikolova T et al. (2005): Electromagnetic fields affect transcript levels of apoptosis-related genes in embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells
Nylund R et al. (2004): Proteomics analysis of human endothelial cell line EA.hy926 after exposure to GSM 900 radiation
Czyz J et al. (2004): High frequency electromagnetic fields (GSM signals) affect gene expression levels in tumor suppressor p53-deficient embryonic stem cells

Effects of global system for mobile communications 1800 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on gene and protein expression in MCF-7 cells med./bio.

Aim of study (acc. to author)

Endpoint

Exposure

General information

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Modulation

Exposure setup

Parameters

Exposure 2

Main characteristics

Modulation

Exposure setup

Parameters

Exposure 3

Main characteristics

Modulation

Exposure setup

Parameters

Reference articles

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Study funded by

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