A 60-Hz sinusoidal magnetic field induces apoptosis of prostate cancer cells through reactive oxygen species.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the effects of power frequency magnetic fields (MF) on cell growth in prostate cancer, DU145, PC3, and LNCaP cells were examined in vitro.


METHODS
The cells were exposed to various intensities and durations of 60-Hz sinusoidal MF in combination with various serum concentrations in the media. To analyze MF effects on cell growth, cell counting, trypan blue exclusion assay, Western blot analysis, flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), fluorescence microscopy, and spectrofluorometry were used.


RESULTS
MF exposure induced significant cell growth inhibition and apoptosis in an intensity- and time-dependent manner, in which cell cycle arrest, cleaved Caspase-3, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased. Pretreatment with a Caspase-3 inhibitor or antioxidant, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), significantly attenuated MF-induced cell growth inhibition and cell death. Media replacement experiments failed to show any notable change in the MF effects.


CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrate 60-Hz sinusoidal MF-activated cell growth inhibition of prostate cancer in vitro. Apoptosis together with cell cycle arrest were the dominant causes of the MF-elicited cell growth inhibition, mediated by MF-induced ROS. These results suggest that a possibility of using 60-Hz MF in radiation therapy of prostate cancer could usefully be investigated.
Koh
Eui Kwan
EK
Seoul Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Seoul, Korea.
Ryu
Byung-Kyu
BK
Jeong
Dong-Young
DY
Bang
Iel-Soo
IS
Nam
Myung Hee
MH
Chae
Kwon-Seok
KS
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000528:radiation effects*; D019898:Autocrine Communication / Q000528:radiation effects; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000528:radiation effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D008280:Magnetics; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species