Medical/biological study (experimental study)

50 Hz electromagnetic field exposure promotes proliferation and cytokine production of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells med./bio.

By: Fan W, Qian F, Ma Q, Zhang P, Chen T, Chen C, Zhang Y, Deng P, Zhou Z, Yu Z

Published in: Int J Clin Exp Med 2015; 8 (5): 7394-7404

Aim of study (acc. to author)

The effects of exposure of mesenchymal stem cells from rat and mouse to a 50 Hz magnetic field on cell proliferation and cytokine production should be investigated.

Background/further details

Rat and mouse stem cells were divided into two groups, respectively: 1) exposure to the magnetic field and 2) sham exposure (remark EMF-Portal: additional tests were conducted with macrophages, but as they did not investigate the direct effects of exposure to the magnetic field, they are not regarded here).

Endpoint

molecular biosynthesis: cytokine production
cell viability/cell division/proliferation: cell proliferation

Exposure

- 50 Hz
- 50/60 Hz
- magnetic field

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: 50 Hz Exposure duration: continuous for 4 hours/day for up to 7 days	magnetic flux density: 1 mT

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	50 Hz
Type	magnetic field
Waveform	sinusoidal
Exposure duration	continuous for 4 hours/day for up to 7 days

Exposure setup

Exposure source	electromagnetic field generator
Chamber	petry dishes, well plates and flasks (depending on method)
Setup	two independent electromagnetic field generators connected to a computer via a specific sensor
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
magnetic flux density	1 mT	-	-	-	-

Reference articles

Schuderer J et al. (2004): In vitro exposure apparatus for ELF magnetic fields

Exposed system:

intact cell/cell culture
mesenchymal bone marrow stem cells (from SD rats) and mesenchymal stem cells (from mouse)

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

molecular biosynthesis: DNA synthesis in rat stem cells (after 3 days; incorporation of 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), fluorescence microscopy), gene expression of cytokines in rat (after 0, 1, 2 and 3 days; SCF, CSF) and mouse (after 3 days; SCF, CSF, TPO, LIF, IL-11, IL-7, IL-6, SDF-1, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha) stem cells (real-time RT-PCR)
cell viability/cell division/proliferation: cell proliferation of rat stem cells (after 0, 1, 3, 5 and 7 days; commercial kit, spectrophotometry); cell cycle distribution of rat stem cells (after 3 days; flow cytometry)

Investigated system:

isolated bio./chem. substance
DNA/RNA
intact cell/cell culture

Time of investigation:

before exposure
after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

The following parameters were significantly increased in exposed rat stem cells compared to the sham exposure group: cell proliferation after 3 to 7 days, DNA synthesis, proportion of cells in S phase in the cell cycle distribution and the gene expression rates of SCF and CSF after 2 and 3 days.
In mouse stem cells, the gene expression rates of SCF, CSF, TPO, LIF, IL-11 and IL-7 were significantly increased in the exposure group compared to the sham exposure group.
The authors conclude that exposure of mesenchymal stem cells from rat and mouse to a 50 Hz magnetic field could stimulate the cell proliferation and the production of some cytokines.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study

Study funded by

National Basic Research Program (Program 973), China

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