title: Effects of 60 Hz electromagnetic field exposure on APP695 transcription levels in differentiating human neuroblastoma cells.
abstract: Epidemiological studies have suggested that workers with primary occupation that are likely to have resulted in the medium-to-high extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure are at increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. As a first step in investigating the possibility of an association between the ELF-EMF exposure and AD at the cellular level, we have used the differentiating IMR-32 neuroblastoma cells. In double-blind experiments, IMR-32 cells were exposed to the magnetic field intensities of 50, 100, and 200 microT at a frequency of 60 Hz for a period of 4 h at the three ages of differentiation (2, 10, and 16 days after incubation in differentiation medium). We used a custom-made Helmholtz coil setup driven by a 60-Hz sinusoidal signal from a function generator and an in-house built power amplifier. Total RNA extracted from the exposed cells was separated by the agarose gel electrophoresis and transferred to a nylon membrane for the northern hybridization. Digoxygenin-labeled APP695 RNA probes were used to detect changes in the APP695 mRNA levels in response to the ELF-EMF exposure. The results reported herein provided no support for any relationship between the APP695 gene transcription and IMR-32 differentiation age, as well as the magnetic field exposure. This study constitutes the first step towards investigating the possibility of an association between the ELF-EMF exposure and AD manifestations at the cellular level.
authors.affiliation: Cellular Bioengineering Laboratory, Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
authors.forename: Raj R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Jaroslava
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Halper
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Kisaalita
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D009447:Neuroblastoma; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D012333:RNA, Messenger