Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Proteomic Analysis of the Response of Human Endothelial Cell Line EA.hy926 to 1800 GSM Mobile Phone Radiation med./bio.

By: Nylund R, Tammio H, Kuster N, Leszczynski D

Published in: J Proteomics Bioinform 2009; 2: 455-462

Aim of study (acc. to author)

To study the effects of 1800 MHz GSM mobile phone irradiation on the protein expression in a human endothelial cell line.

Background/further details

Investigation of protein expression changes were replicated in ten experiments. Results were compared with the data of an earlier study that used 900 MHz GSM mobile phone irradiation (Nylund and Leszczynski 2004).

Endpoint

molecular biosynthesis: protein expression

Exposure

- mobile communications
- digital mobile phone
- GSM

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: 1,800 MHz Modulation type: pulsed Exposure duration: continuous for 1 h	SAR: 2 W/kg average over time

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	1,800 MHz
Type	electromagnetic field
Exposure duration	continuous for 1 h

Modulation

Modulation type	pulsed
Additional info	dominant modulation components: 2 Hz, 8 Hz, 217 Hz, 1733 Hz GSM talk mode

Exposure setup

Exposure source	cellular phone waveguide
Setup	two waveguides inside an incubator
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
SAR	2 W/kg	average over time	-	-	-

Reference articles

Tillmann T et al. (2007): Carcinogenicity study of GSM and DCS wireless communication signals in B6C3F1 mice
Schuderer J et al. (2004): High Peak SAR Exposure Unit With Tight Exposure and Environmental Control for In Vitro Experiments at 1800 MHz

Exposed system:

intact cell/cell culture
EA.hy926 cells

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

molecular biosynthesis: protein expression (two-dimensional electrophoresis); identification of three proteins (MALDI-MS (matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry)); glucose-related protein (GRP78), vimentin and Hsp27 expression (SDS-PAGE, Western blot)

Investigated system:

isolated bio./chem. substance

Time of investigation:

after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Eight of 900 detected proteins were differentially expressed in exposed cells. Three out of these eight proteins were identified using MALDI-MS (spermidine synthase, glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) and proteasome subunit alpha type 1 (PSA1)). Due to the lack of the availability of commercial antibodies the authors were only able to further examine expression of GRP78. Using SDS-PAGE and Western blot method they were not able to confirm the result obtained for GRP78 using two-dimensional electrophoresis. Additionally, no effect of 1800 MHz GSM exposure was found on the protein expression of vimentin and Hsp27. These proteins were affected by the 900 MHz GSM exposure in earlier studies (see "Related articles").
In conclusion, the data suggest that the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz GSM exposures might affect the expression of some proteins in the EA.hy926 cell line. The discrepancy observed here between the expression changes of GRP78 detected with different methods confirms the importance of validation of the results obtained with two-dimensional electrophoresis using other methods, e.g. Western blot.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study

Study funded by

IT'IS Foundation (Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society), Zurich, Switzerland
STUK (Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority), Helsinki, Finland

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Kim KB et al. (2010): Two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis of radio-frequency radiation-exposed MCF7 breast cancer cells
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Zeng Q et al. (2006): Effects of global system for mobile communications 1800 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on gene and protein expression in MCF-7 cells
Leszczynski D et al. (2006): Questions and answers concerning applicability of proteomics and transcriptomics in EMF research
Nylund R et al. (2004): Proteomics analysis of human endothelial cell line EA.hy926 after exposure to GSM 900 radiation