Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Extremely low frequency magnetic field induces human neuronal differentiation through NMDA receptor activation med./bio.

By: Özgün A, Marote A, Behie LA, Salgado A, Garipcan B

Published in: J Neural Transm 2019; 126 (10): 1281-1290

Aim of study (acc. to author)

The effects of exposure of human stem cells to a 50 Hz magnetic field on neuronal differentiation and the involvement of the NMDA receptor should be investigated.

Background/further details

Cells were divided into an exposure group and a sham exposure group. To investigate the role of the NMDA receptor, the cells were partially treated with memantine, an NMDA receptor antagonist.

Endpoint

cell viability/cell division/proliferation: neuronal differentiation and the involvement of the NMDA receptor

Exposure

- 50/60 Hz
- magnetic field

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: 50 Hz Exposure duration: continuous for 5 days	magnetic flux density: 1 mT effective value

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	50 Hz
Type	magnetic field
Waveform	sinusoidal
Exposure duration	continuous for 5 days

Exposure setup

Exposure source	Helmholtz coils
Setup	Helmholtz coil pair placed inside a cell culture incubator; power supply signal was attenuated by a variac and fed to the coils to produce magnetic field
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.

Parameters

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

Reference articles

Cho H et al. (2012): Neural stimulation on human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells by extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields

Exposed system:

intact cell/cell culture
human neural progenitor cells

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

cell viability/cell division/proliferation: neuronal differentiation: length of axons and distribution of neuronal markers: immunohistochemical stain of MAP2 (mature neuronal marker), DCX (immature neuronal marker) and c-Fos (marker for neuronal activity) in cells, fluorescence microscopy; Level of MAP2 and Tuj1 (mature neuronal marker) and DCX in cell lysate, Western blot

Investigated system:

intact cell/cell culture
isolated bio./chem. substance
cell lysates

Time of investigation:

after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Both immunohistochemical staining and Western blot showed a significant increase in neuronal differentiation of cells in the exposure group compared to the sham exposure group. The differentiated neurons in the exposure group also showed significantly longer axons and a significantly increased level of c-Fos compared to the sham exposure group. Addition of the NMDA receptor inhibitor memantine reversed these effects.
The authors conclude that exposure of human stem cells to a 50 Hz magnetic field could promote neuronal differentiation with the involvement of the NMDA receptor.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study

Study funded by

Bogazici University Research Fund, Turkey
European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
European Project COMPETE (Operational Programme "Thematic Factors of Competitiveness")
European Project Norte 2020 (regional operational programme)
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) - Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), EU
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT; Foundation for Science and Technology), Portugal
Prémios Santa Casa Neurociências - Prize Melo e Castro for Spinal Cord Injury Research
The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK), Turkey

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