[Effects of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields on the level of c-fos mRNA in brain and liver of mouse].
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF EMFs) on c-fos gene expression in mouse brain and liver tissues.


METHODS
Mice were exposed to 50 Hz sinusoidal 0.2 mT or 6.0 mT electromagnetic field for 2 weeks or 4 weeks. Competitive RT-PCR method was used to measure c-fos mRNA level.


RESULTS
After exposure to 0.2 mT or 6.0 mT field for 2 weeks, c-fos mRNA levels in brain tissue [(0.0178 +/- 0.0076) amol/120 ng cDNA and (0.0092 +/- 0.0042) amol/120 ng cDNA respectively] were higher than that of control level [(0.0012 +/- 0.0005) amol/120 ng cDNA] (P < 0.05). In liver tissue c-fos mRNA levels [(0.0117 +/- 0.0055) amol/120 ng cDNA and (0.0148 +/- 0.0162) amol/120 ng cDNA respectively] were also higher than that of control level [(0.0005 +/- 0.0005) amol/120 ng cDNA] (P < 0.05). After exposure to 0.2 mT or 6.0 mT field for 4 weeks, c-fos mRNA levels in brain tissue [(0.0100 +/- 0.0054) amol/120 ng cDNA and (0.0198 +/- 0.0079) amol/120 ng cDNA respectively] were higher than that of control level [(0.0015 +/- 0.0008) amol/120 ng cDNA] (P < 0.05). In liver tissue the exposure induced much higher expression level [(0.0173 +/- 0.0122) amol/120 ng cDNA and (0.0133 +/- 0.0090) amol/120 ng cDNA respectively] while no expression was found in the control.


CONCLUSIONS
Exposure to 50 Hz electromagnetic fields may induce up-regulation of c-fos transcription in mouse brain and liver tissue.
Liu
Yun
Y
Department of Environmental Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China.
Yu
Yun-mei
YM
Weng
En-qi
EQ
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000528:radiation effects; D016762:Genes, fos / Q000235:genetics*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors
D012333:RNA, Messenger