title: Electric field-induced changes in agonist-stimulated calcium fluxes of human HL-60 leukemia cells.
abstract: The mechanism of biological effects of extremely-low-frequency electric and magnetic fields may involve induced changes of Ca2+ transport through plasma membrane ion channels. In this study we investigated the effects of externally applied, low-intensity 60 Hz electric (E) fields (0.5 V/m, current density 0.8 A/m2) on the agonist-induced Ca2+ fluxes of HL-60 leukemia cells. The suspensions of HL-60 cells received E-field or sham exposure for 60 min and were simultaneously stimulated either by 1 microM ATP or by 100 microM histamine or were not stimulated at all. After E-field or sham exposure, the responses of the intracellular calcium levels of the cells to different concentrations of ATP (0.2-100 microM) were assessed. Compared with control cells, exposure of ATP-activated cells to an E-field resulted in a 20-30% decrease in the magnitude of [Ca2+]i elevation induced by a low concentration of ATP (<1 microM). In contrast, exposure of histamine-activated HL-60 cells resulted in a 20-40% increase of ATP-induced elevation of [Ca2+]i. E-field exposure had no effect on non-activated cells. Kinetic analysis of concentration-response plots also showed that compared with control cells, exposure to the E-field resulted in increases of the Michaelis constant, Km, value in ATP-treated cells and of the maximal [Ca2+]i peak rise in histamine-treated HL-60 cells. The observed effects were reversible, indicating the absence of permanent structural damages induced by acute 60 min exposure to electric fields. These results demonstrate that low-intensity electric fields can alter calcium distribution in cells, most probably due to the effect on receptor-operated Ca2+ and/or ion channels.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biomedical and Behavioral Science, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226, USA.
authors.forename: Y V
authors.initials: YV
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Conover
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Lotz
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Cleary
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D018922:HL-60 Cells / Q000528:radiation effects; D006632:Histamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D006632:Histamine; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D002118:Calcium