In this study, we show the effect of a 1-mT magnetic field AC at 50 Hz on Xenopus laevis tadpole populations. In the course of a 65-day exposure to the field, tadpole survival showed a small, but significant, decrease (p &lt; 0.0004), together with a striking parallel 6-day shift in tadpole maturation frequency and a significant impairment of their metamorphosis. Particularly, metamorphosis was successful for 85% of individuals in the unirradiated tadpole population and for 45% of individuals in the irradiated tadpole population, respectively.

S. Grimaldi

A. Lisi

S. Reiti

V. Manni

M. Ledda

L. Giuliani

Influence of 50-Hz Electromagnetic Field on Anurian (Xenopus laevis) Metamorphosis

Thymus plays an important role in the immune system and can be modulated by numerous environmental factors, including electromagnetic fields (EMF). The present study has been undertaken with the aim to investigate the role of long-term exposure to extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields (ELF-EMF) on thymocytes of rats housed in a regular dark/light cycle or under continuous light. Male Sprague-Dawley rats, 2 months old, were exposed or sham exposed for 8 months to 50-Hz sinusoidal EMF at two levels of field strength (1 kV/m, 5 &#x3BC;T and 5 kV/m, 100 &#x3BC;T, respectively). Thymus from adult animals exhibits signs of gradual atrophy mainly due to collagen deposition and fat substitution. This physiological involution may be accelerated by continuous light exposure that induces a massive death of thymocytes. The concurrent exposure to continuous light and to ELF-EMF did not change significantly the rate of mitoses compared to sham-exposed rats, whereas the amount of cell death was significantly increased, also in comparison with animals exposed to EMF in a 12-h dark-light cycle. In conclusion, long-term exposure to ELF-EMF, in animals housed under continuous light, may reinforce the alterations due to a photic stress, suggesting that, in vivo, stress and ELF-EMF exposure can act in synergy determining a more rapid involution of the thymus and might be responsible for an increased susceptibility to the potentially hazardous effects of ELF-EMF.

Daniela Quaglino

Miriam Capri

Luigi Zecca

Claudio Franceschi

Ivonne P. Ronchetti

The Effect on Rat Thymocytes of the Simultaneous In Vivo Exposure to 50-Hz Electric and Magnetic Field and to Continuous Light

There has been considerable discussion about the influence of high-frequency electromagnetic fields (HFEMF) on the human body. In particular, HFEMF used for mobile phones may be of great concern for human health. In order to investigate the properties of HFEMF, we have examined the effects of 2.45-GHz EMF on micronucleus (MN) formation in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 cells. MN formation is induced by chromosomal breakage or inhibition of spindles during cell division and leads to cell damage. We also examined the influence of heat on MN formation, since HFEMF exposure causes a rise in temperature. CHO-K1 cells were exposed to HFEMF for 2 h at average specific absorption rates (SARs) of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 W/kg, and the effects on these cells were compared with those in sham-exposed control cells. The cells were also treated with bleomycin alone as a positive control or with combined treatment of HFEMF exposure and bleomycin. Heat treatment was performed at temperatures of 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, and 42°C.The MN frequency in cells exposed to HFEMF at a SAR of lower than 50 W/kg did not differ from the sham-exposed controls, while those at SARs of 100 and 200 W/kg were significantly higher when compared with the sham-exposed controls. There was no apparent combined effect of HFEMF exposure and bleomycin treatment. On heat treatment at temperatures from 38–42°C, the MN frequency increased in a temperature-dependent manner. We also showed that an increase in SAR causes a rise in temperature and this may be connected to the increase in MN formation generated by exposure to HFEMF.

S. Koyama

Y. Isozumi

Y. Suzuki

M. Taki

J. Miyakoshi

Effects of 2.45-GHz Electromagnetic Fields with a Wide Range of SARs on Micronucleus Formation in CHO-K1 Cells

The changes of wet and dry weights and germination of barley seed in different periods of its swelling in nontreated (control), extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF EMF) )treated, and extremely low frequency vibrations (ELFV)treated cold (4&#xb0;C) and warm (20&#xb0;C) distilled water (DW) were studied. The metabolic-dependent seed hydration, dry weight dissolving, germination, and water binding in seed were modulated by preliminary EMF- and ELFV-treated DW. Frequency &#x201C;windows&#x201D; for the effect of EMF and ELFV on seed hydration, solubility, water binding in seed, and germination were discovered. These &#x201C;windows&#x201D; were different for EMF and ELFV, as well as in various phases of seed swelling. It is suggested that EMF-induced water structure modification has a different biological effect on the process of seed hydration, solubility, water binding in seed, and germination compared to ELFV.

Armine Amyan

Sinerik Ayrapetyan

The Biological Effect of Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields and Vibrations on Barley Seed Hydration and Germination

M. Tzaphlidou

E. Fotiou

Ch. Gousias

D.P. Matthopoulos

Development of a Reliable and Low-Cost System for the Study of EMF Biological Effects

The axial periodicity of rat arachnoid and dura mater collagen fibrils exposed to 910 MHz for 2 h/day for 30 consecutive days was measured by means of image analysis of electron-optical data. Such measurements were compared with those from sham-exposed animals. These measurements reveal that on exposure, the intermolecular interactions during collagen fibril assembly are affected.

Margaret Tzaphlidou

Evangelos Fotiou

The Effects of 910-MHz Electromagnetic Field on Rat Cranial Arachnoid and Dura Mater Collagen. The Axial Periodicity of Collagen Fibrils

Zolt&#xE1;n Somosy

Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Radiation-Special Issue

Adherens (AJ) and tight junctions (TJ), as integrated parts of the junctional complex, are multifunctional specialized regions of the cell membrane in epithelial cells. They are responsible for cell-to-cell interactions and also have great importance in cellular signaling processes including Wnt protein-mediated signals. As electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure is known to cause alterations in the function as well as supramolecular organization of different cell contacts, our goal was to investigate the effect of 50-Hz magnetic field (MF) exposures on the subcellular distribution of some representative structural proteins (occludin, β-catenin, and cadherin) found in AJ and TJ. Additionally, cellular β-catenin content was also quantified by Western blot analysis.  50-Hz MF exposures seemed to increase the staining intensity (amount) of occludin, cadherins, and β-catenin in the junctional area of MDCK cells, while Western blot data indicated the quantity of b-catenin was found significantly decreased at both time points after EM exposures. Our results demonstrate that MF are able to modify the distribution of TJ and AJ structural proteins, tending to stabilize these cell contacts. The quantitative changes of β-catenin suggest a causative relationship between MF effects on the cell junctional complex and the Wnt signaling pathway.

Zoltán Somosy

Zsolt Forgács

Gabriella Bognár

Katalin Horváth

Gyözo Horváth

Alteration of Tight and Adherens Junctions on 50-Hz Magnetic Field Exposure in Madin Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) Cells

The main goal of this study was to evaluate the possible effect of whole-body magnetic field (MF) exposure on the steroidogenic capacity of Leydig cells in vitro. In four separate experiments, male CFLP mice were exposed to sinusoidal 50-Hz, 100-μT MF. The duration of exposure was 23.5 h/day over a period of 14 days. At the end of the exposure, interstitial (Leydig) cells were isolated from the testicles of the sham-exposed and exposed animals. The cells were cultured for 48 h in the presence or absence of 1, 10, or 100 mIU/ml human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The luteinizing hormone (LH) analog hCG was used to check the testosterone (T) response of the sham-exposed controls and to evaluate the possible effect of the whole-body MF exposure on the steroidogenic capacity of Leydig cells in vitro. Testosterone content of the culture media and blood sera was measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). In the cultures obtained from MF-exposed animals, the hCG-stimulated T response was significanly higher (p &lt; 0.01) compared with the sham-exposed controls, while the basal T production of cells and the level of serum T remained unaltered. No MF exposurerelated histopathological alterations were found in testicles, epididymes, adrenals, prostates, and pituitary glands. The MF exposure did not affect the animal growth rate and the observed hematologic and serum chemical variables. Our results indicate a presumably direct effect of whole-body MF exposure on the hCG-stimulated steroidogenic response of mouse Leydig cells.

Györgyi Kubinyi

Hanna Sinay

Jozsef Bakos

György Thuróczy

András Surján

Aranka Hudák

Ferenc Olajos

Péter Lázár

Effects of Whole-Body 50-Hz Magnetic Field Exposure on Mouse Leydig Cells

Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF EMF) are commonly present in daily life all over the world. Moreover, EMF are used in the physiotherapy of many diseases because of their beneficial effects. There is widespread public concern that EMF may have potential consequences for human health. Although experimental animal studies indicate that EMF may influence secretion of some hormones, the data on the effects of EMF on human endocrine system are scarce. Most of the results concentrate on influence of EMF on secretion of melatonin. In this review, the data on the influence of EMF on human endocrine system are briefly presented and discussed.

Michal Karasek

Marta Woldanska-Okonska

Electromagnetic Fields and Human Endocrine System

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