title: Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Fields Do Not Induce DNA Damage in Human Lens Epithelial Cells In Vitro.
abstract: Non-ionizing radiations, e.g., radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, could induce DNA damage and oxidative stress in human lens epithelial cells (LECs) which can be early events in cataractogenesis. Extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF MF) as another common form of man-made electromagnetic fields has been considered as suspected human carcinogen by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and become a focus that people play more and more attentions to. This study aimed to determine whether ELF MF can induce DNA damage in cultured human LECs at a relatively low intensity. Human LECs were exposed or sham-exposed to a 50 Hz ELF MF which produced by a well-designed exposure system at the intensity of 0.4 mT. DNA damage in human LECs was examined by the phosphorylated form of histone variant H2AX (γH2AX) foci formation assay and further explored with western blot, flow cytometry, and alkaline comet assay. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that 0.4 mT ELF MF did not significantly increase γH2AX foci formation in human LECs after 2, 6, 12, 24, or 48 hr exposure. No significant differences had been detected in γH2AX expression level between the ELF MF- and sham-exposure groups, while no obvious chromosomal DNA fragmentation was detected by alkaline comet assay after ELF MF exposure. The results indicate an absence of genotoxicity in ELF MF-exposed human epithelial cells and do not support the hypothesis that environmental ELF MF might be causally led to genomic instability via chromosomal damage response processes. Neither short nor long term continuous exposure to 50 Hz ELF MF at 0.4 mT could induce DNA damage in human lens epithelial cells in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Bioelectromagnetics Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Kan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of environmental and occupational health, Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Bioelectromagnetics Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.|Department of health monitoring, Haining Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Haining, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Bioelectromagnetics Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jianing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.affiliation: Bioelectromagnetics Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Qunli
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*
chemical_list: C468783:H2AX protein, human; D006657:Histones
keywords: DNA damage; ELF; extremely low frequency magnetic fields; human lens epithelial; γH2AX