Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Effects of combined radiofrequency radiation exposure on levels of reactive oxygen species in neuronal cells med./bio.

By: Kang KA, Lee HC, Lee JJ, Hong MN, Park MJ, Lee YS, Choi HD, Kim N, Ko YK, Lee JS

Published in: J Radiat Res 2014; 55 (2): 265-276

Aim of study (acc. to author)

To examine the effects of an exposure to combined radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (CDMA and WCDMA) on the level of reactive oxygen species in different neuronal cells.

Background/further details

Two experiments were performed. In the first experiment, the cells were treated as follows and the level of reactive oxygen species was analyzed: 1 a) incubator control group, 1 b) sham exposure, 1 c) exposure to CDMA and WCDMA. In the second experiment, cells were co-exposed to reactive oxygen species inducers (H₂O₂ and menadione) and the level of reactive oxygen species as well as the cell viability were determined: 2 a) incubator control group, 2 b) incubator control + H₂O₂ (0-1000 µM) or menadione (0-400 µM), 2 c) sham exposure + H₂O₂ (0-1000 µM) or menadione (0-400 µM) and 2 d) exposure to CDMA und WCDMA + H₂O₂ (0-1000 µM) or menadione (0-400 µM).
For the experiments, 3 different cancer cell lines (neuronal cells) were used (see "exposed system"). Additionally, NIH3T3 cells (mouse fibroblasts) were used as control cells. After the radiofrequency exposure, cells were analyzed at 1, 3, 6 and 12 h after H₂O₂ treatment or after 0.5, 1 and 3 hours after menadione treatment.

Endpoint

Exposure

- CDMA
- W-CDMA
- mobile communications
- mobile phone
- co-exposure

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: 837–1,950 MHz Exposure duration: continuous for 2 hours combined exposure to CDMA and WCDMA	SAR: 2 W/kg (CDMA signal) SAR: 2 W/kg (WCDMA signal)

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	837–1,950 MHz
Type	electromagnetic field
Exposure duration	continuous for 2 hours
Additional info	combined exposure to CDMA and WCDMA

Exposure setup

Exposure source	radial transmission line exposure system
Chamber	8 petri dishes per exposure, temperature of exposure chamber: 37 ±0.3 °C (monitored twice per second), mixture of air and CO₂ (5 % CO₂ inside the chamber)
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
SAR	2 W/kg	-	-	-	CDMA signal
SAR	2 W/kg	-	-	-	WCDMA signal

Reference articles

Lee KY et al. (2011): Effects of combined radiofrequency radiation exposure on the cell cycle and its regulatory proteins

Exposed system:

intact cell/cell culture
NIH3T3 cells (mouse fibroblasts), U87 (human glioma cells), PC12 (rat pheochromocytoma cells), SH-SY5Y (human neuroblastoma cells)

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

cell viability/cell division/proliferation: cell viability (MTT assay)
oxidative stress: level of reactive oxygen species (measured via dichlorofluorescein, flow cytometry)

Investigated system:

intact cell/cell culture

Time of investigation:

after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

In the first experiment, no consistent significant differences occurred in the levels of reactive oxygen species over the time in the radiofrequency exposed neuronal cell lines compared to the corresponding incubator control group and the sham exposed cell cultures.
In the second experiment, the radiofrequency exposed neuronal cells with H₂O₂ or menadione showed no significant changes compared to cell cultures treated with H₂O₂ or menadione alone.
The data indicate that neither exposure to radiofrequency fields (CDMA and WCDMA) alone nor in combination with H₂O₂ or menadione alters the level of reactive oxygen species in neuronal cells.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study

Study funded by

Korea Communications Commission (KCC), Korea

Lee JS et al. (2016): Effects of combined radiofrequency field exposure on amyloid-beta-induced cytotoxicity in HT22 mouse hippocampal neurones
Wang X et al. (2015): 8-oxoG DNA Glycosylase-1 Inhibition Sensitizes Neuro-2a Cells to Oxidative DNA Base Damage Induced by 900 MHz Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Radiation
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