Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Magnetic field anti-inflammatory effects in Crohn's disease depends upon viability and cytokine profile of the immune competent cells med./bio.

By: Kaszuba-Zwoinska J, Ciecko-Michalska I, Madroszkiewicz D, Mach T, Slodowska-Hajduk Z, Rokita E, Zaraska W, Thor P

Published in: J Physiol Pharmacol 2008; 59 (1): 177-187

Aim of study (acc. to author)

This study was performed to evaluate the effects of pulsating low frequency electromagnetic field on viability and cytokine production profile of human blood mononuclear cells involved in pathomechanism of the inflammatory bowel diseases.

Background/further details

Pulsating electromagnetic field treatment was studied in 8 patients (4 women, 4 men) with untreated newly diagnosed Crohn's disease (a chronic inflammatory bowel disease) and in 16 healthy controls (12 women and 4 men).
Peripherial blood cells were investigated mitogen (phytohaemagglutinin and lipopolysaccharides) stimulated, and not stimulated.

Endpoint

cell viability/cell division/proliferation: cell viability
effects on the immune system: cytokine production

Exposure

- signals/pulses

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: LF (< 10 MHz) Modulation type: pulsed Exposure duration: repeated daily exposure, 3 h/day, for 3 days, with 24-h intervals between exposures	magnetic flux density: 45 mT (± 5 mT)

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	LF (< 10 MHz)
Type	magnetic field
Waveform	pulsed
Exposure duration	repeated daily exposure, 3 h/day, for 3 days, with 24-h intervals between exposures

Modulation

Modulation type	pulsed
Repetition frequency	50 Hz

Exposure setup

Exposure source	generator
Setup	A 96-well culture plate containing 0.2-ml aliquots of cells cultured for 48 h with or without mitogens was placed in the generator pocket inside the cell culture incubator.
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
magnetic flux density	45 mT	-	-	-	± 5 mT

Exposed system:

intact cell/cell culture

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

cell viability/cell division/proliferation: cell viability, cell death (acridine orange and ethidium bromide dye, fluorescence microscopy)
effects on the immune system: cytokine production: IFN-gamma and interleukin-10 (ELISA)

Investigated system:

intact cell/cell culture

Investigated organ system:

immune system

Time of investigation:

after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Decreased cell viability was observed in exposed peripherial blood mononuclear cell cultures from both Crohn's disease patients and from healthy donors. The exposure was most effective after threefold application. Mitogen activated cells during cell division were most susceptible to induction of the cell death.
Decreased viability of the Crohn's disease derived cells upon magnetic field stimulation was accompanied by altered cytokines profile. Exposed and mitogen stimulated cells from Crohn's disease patients showed decreased IFN-gamma proinflammatory and increased IL-10 anti-inflammatory cytokine production.
The electromagnetically induced cell death could be an important step for non-invasive pulsed electromagnetic field treatment in chronic inflammatory diseases.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study

Study funded by

Medical College of Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland

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