Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields do not affect DNA damage and gene expression profiles of yeast and human lymphocytes.
We studied the effects of extremely low-frequency (50 Hz) electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on peripheral human blood lymphocytes and DBY747 Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Graded exposure to 50 Hz magnetic flux density was obtained with a Helmholtz coil system set at 1, 10 or 100 microT for 18 h. The effects of EMFs on DNA damage were studied with the single-cell gel electrophoresis assay (comet assay) in lymphocytes. Gene expression profiles of EMF-exposed human and yeast cells were evaluated with DNA microarrays containing 13,971 and 6,212 oligonucleotides, respectively. After exposure to the EMF, we did not observe an increase in the amount of strand breaks or oxidated DNA bases relative to controls or a variation in gene expression profiles. The results suggest that extremely low-frequency EMFs do not induce DNA damage or affect gene expression in these two different eukaryotic cell systems.
Luceri
Cristina
C
Department of Pharmacology, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139, Florence, Italy. cristina.luceri@unifi.it
De Filippo
Carlotta
C
Giovannelli
Lisa
L
Blangiardo
Marta
M
Cavalieri
Duccio
D
Aglietti
Filippo
F
Pampaloni
Monica
M
Andreuccetti
Daniele
D
Pieri
Lapo
L
Bambi
Franco
F
Biggeri
Annibale
A
Dolara
Piero
P
D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000528:radiation effects; D004249:DNA Damage; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004560:Electricity / Q000009:adverse effects; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
D001798:Blood Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D004247:DNA