title: Low-frequency magnetic fields do not aggravate disease in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: Low-frequency magnetic fields (LF-MF) generated by power lines represent a potential environmental health risk and are classified as possibly carcinogenic by the World Health Organization. Epidemiological studies indicate that LF-MF might propagate neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We conducted a comprehensive analysis to determine whether long-term exposure to LF-MF (50 Hz, 1 mT) interferes with disease development in established mouse models for AD and ALS, namely APP23 mice and mice expressing mutant Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1), respectively. Exposure for 16 months did not aggravate learning deficit of APP23 mice. Likewise, disease onset and survival of SOD1(G85R) or SOD1(G93A) mice were not altered upon LF-MF exposure for ten or eight months, respectively. These results and an extended biochemical analysis of protein aggregation, glial activation and levels of toxic protein species suggests that LF-MF do not affect cellular processes involved in the pathogenesis of AD or ALS.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathobiochemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Martina P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Liebl
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathobiochemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Windschmitt
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathobiochemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Anna S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Besemer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathobiochemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne-Kathrin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Reber
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathobiochemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Behl
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathobiochemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Albrecht M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Clement
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000378:metabolism; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D060526:Magnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017628:Microglia / Q000502:physiology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D066263:Protein Aggregation, Pathological / Q000378:metabolism; D065853:Spatial Learning; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D000072105:Superoxide Dismutase-1
chemical_list: C491049:Aif1 protein, mouse; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C528900:glial fibrillary astrocytic protein, mouse; C000606291:Sod1 protein, mouse; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000072105:Superoxide Dismutase-1