Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Chondroprotective effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields on human cartilage explants med./bio.

By: Ongaro A, Pellati A, Masieri FF, Caruso A, Setti S, Cadossi R, Biscione R, Massari L, Fini M, De Mattei M

Published in: Bioelectromagnetics 2011; 32 (7): 543-551

Aim of study (acc. to author)

To examine whether pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) alone and in combination with the insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) have a chondroprotective effect on human cartilage.

Background/further details

The insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) has an anabolic effect in chondrocyte metabolism. Amongst others, IGF-I increases the synthesis of proteoglycan. Previous studies (for example: De Mattei et al., 2004, De Mattei et al., 2001) indicated a similar effect induced by low frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields. To further examine this hypothesis, cartilage samples were exposed and treated with IGF-I and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß, plays a role in cartilage destruction, suppresses the synthesis of proteoglycan) alone or in combination for 1 or 7 days.
Human cartilage samples were obtained from 13 patients with knee osteoathritis undergoing total knee replacement. The stage of osteoarthritis was scored and the cartilage samples were classified. The samples with slight degenerations were obtained from all patients, while the severe cartilage degeneration samples were obtained from only 4 patients.

Endpoint

molecular biosynthesis: proteoglycan synthesis and release

Exposure

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: 75 Hz Exposure duration: continuous for 1 or 7 days	magnetic flux density: 1.5 mT peak value electric field strength: 0.051 mV/cm

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	75 Hz
Type	magnetic field
Waveform	pulsed
Exposure duration	continuous for 1 or 7 days
Additional info	pulse duration: 1.3 ms; duty cycle 0.1

Exposure setup

Exposure source	Helmholtz coils
Chamber	a pair of circular Helmoltz coils made of copper wire, placed opposite to each other and in a signal generator; multiwell plates were placed between this pair of Helmoltz coils so that the plane of the coils was perpendicular to the multiwell plates
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
magnetic flux density	1.5 mT	peak value	measured	-	-
electric field strength	0.051 mV/cm	-	measured	-	-

Reference articles

De Mattei M et al. (2009): Adenosine analogs and electromagnetic fields inhibit prostaglandin E2 release in bovine synovial fibroblasts
Varani K et al. (2008): Characterization of adenosine receptors in bovine chondrocytes and fibroblast-like synoviocytes exposed to low frequency low energy pulsed electromagnetic fields
De Mattei M et al. (2007): Proteoglycan synthesis in bovine articular cartilage explants exposed to different low-frequency low-energy pulsed electromagnetic fields
De Mattei M et al. (2003): Effects of electromagnetic fields on proteoglycan metabolism of bovine articular cartilage explants
De Mattei M et al. (2001): Effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields on human articular chondrocyte proliferation

Exposed system:

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

molecular biosynthesis: proteoglycan synthesis (amount of proteoglycan in cartilage explant) ([³⁵S]sulphate incorporation, liquid scintillation counting), proteoglycan release in culture medium (dimethylmethylene blue assay, fluorescence spectrometry), lactate concentration in culture medium as marker for metabolic activity (commercial kit, spectrophotometry)

Investigated system:

isolated bio./chem. substance
culture medium, cartilage explant homogenate

Time of investigation:

after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

After 7 days, PEMF exposure or IGF-I treatment alone led to a significant increase in the synthesis of proteoglycan in comparison to the control samples, while a combination of exposure and IGF-I treatment significantly increased the amount of proteoglycan synthesis. After 1 day of incubation, only the combination of exposure and IGF-I increased the proteoglycan synthesis in the cartilage explants significantly in comparison to the control. No significant changes in the proteoglycan release in the culture medium by PEMF exposure or IGF-I addition were observed.
After 7 days of incubation, treatment with IL-1ß led to a significant decrease in proteoglycan synthesis in comparison to the control. This effect was significantly attenuated by exposure or IGF-I treatment and even more by a combination of both when a concentration of 0.01 ng/ml IL-1ß was used. No PEMF exposure- or IGF-I-related effects were seen when the concentration of IL-1ß was 10 ng/ml. No significant differences in the lactate production in the culture media at all IL-1ß doses were found compared to the control group.
The authors conclude that pulsed electromagnetic fields could have a chondroprotective effect on human cartilage, especially in combination with IGF-I.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study

Study funded by

Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cento, Italy
IGEA, Carpi, Italy

de Girolamo L et al. (2013): Low frequency pulsed electromagnetic field affects proliferation, tissue-specific gene expression, and cytokines release of human tendon cells
Boopalan PR et al. (2011): Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy results in healing of full thickness articular cartilage defect
Chang SH et al. (2011): Low-frequency electromagnetic field exposure accelerates chondrocytic phenotype expression on chitosan substrate
Cadossi R et al. (2011): Cartilage chondroprotection and repair with pulsed electromagnetic fields: I-ONE therapy
Chang CH et al. (2010): Can low frequency electromagnetic field help cartilage tissue engineering?
Lee HM et al. (2010): Pulsed electromagnetic field stimulates cellular proliferation in human intervertebral disc cells
Schmidt-Rohlfing B et al. (2008): Effects of pulsed and sinusoid electromagnetic fields on human chondrocytes cultivated in a collagen matrix
De Mattei M et al. (2007): Proteoglycan synthesis in bovine articular cartilage explants exposed to different low-frequency low-energy pulsed electromagnetic fields
Jahns ME et al. (2007): The effect of pulsed electromagnetic fields on chondrocyte morphology
Nicolin V et al. (2007): In vitro exposure of human chondrocytes to pulsed electromagnetic fields
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Caffey S et al. (2005): Effects of radiofrequency energy on human articular cartilage: an analysis of 5 systems
De Mattei M et al. (2001): Effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields on human articular chondrocyte proliferation
Pezzetti F et al. (1999): Effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields on human chondrocytes: an in vitro study