Phagocytosis of latex beads by a human monocytic Mono Mac 6 cell line and effects of low-frequency electromagnetic field interaction.

Some studies have shown that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) may impact immune response cells and their functions. The first stage of the defense from pathogens is innate immunity encompassing phagocytosis and phagocytosis-related intracellular effects. Our work aimed to determine the influence of a low-frequency electromagnetic field (7 Hz, 30 mTrms) on the phagocytosis process of latex beads (LBs), the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and viability changes in a human monocytic Mono Mac 6 (MM6) cell line as an experimental model of the phagocytosing cells in in vitro cell culture conditions. For these purposes, cells were firstly activated with infectious agents such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), or the proliferatory agent phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), and then a phagocytosis test was performed. Cell viability and range of phagocytosis of latex beads by MM6 cells were measured by flow cytometry, and the level of ROS was evaluated with the use of a cytochrome C reduction test. The obtained results revealed that applied EMF exposure mainly increased the necrosis parameter of cell death when they were pre-stimulated with SEB as an infectious factor and subsequently phagocytosed LBs (P=0.001). Prestimulation with other agents like LPS or PHA preceding phagocytosis resulted in no statistically significant changes in cell death parameters. The level of ROS depended on the used stimulatory agent, phagocytosis, and/or EMF exposure. The obtained effects for EMF exposure indicated only a slight decrease in the ROS level for cells phagocytosing latex beads and being treated with SEB or PHA, while the opposite effect was observed for LPS pre-stimulated cells (data not statistically significant). The results concerning the viability of phagocytosing cells, the effectiveness of the phagocytosis process, and the level of radical forms might result from applied EMF parameters like signal waveform, frequency, flux density, and especially single EMF exposure.

Low-frequency electromagnetic field influences human oral mucosa keratinocyte viability in response to lipopolysaccharide or minocycline treatment in cell culture conditions.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the influence of low-frequency electromagnetic field (LF-EMF) exposure on viability parameters of oral mucosa keratinocytes cultured in in vitro conditions. The effect of LF-EMF stimulation on cell viability was also specified in the simultaneous presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) infectious agent or minocycline (Mino) anti-inflammatory agent. Viability parameters such as early-, late apoptosis and necrosis of keratinocytes were analysed by the flow cytometry method (FCM). The exposure of human oral keratinocyte cell cultures to LF-EMF acting alone or combined with LPS/minocycline agents caused changes in the percentage of cells that undergo programmed or incidental cell death. The overall obtained results are compiled in a graphical form presented in Fig. 1.

Changes in viability of rat adipose-derived stem cells isolated from abdominal/perinuclear adipose tissue stimulated with pulsed electromagnetic field.

Previous experiments demonstrated that low-frequency electromagnetic field (LF-EMF) may activate cellular death pathways in proliferating cells. Therefore, we hypothesized that LF-EMF may also influence viability of highly proliferating undifferentiated adipose-derived stem cells. Obesity is classified as a civilization disease; its etiopathogenesis is presumed to include both genetic predisposition and influence of modified environmental factors, such as unbalanced diet with excess calories and/or too low physical activity. Obesity may lead to a number of metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases (associated with atherosclerosis) related to primary hypertension and ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction and other complications. The aim of this study was to verify if LF-EMF alters viability parameters of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) isolated from rats, cultured in vitro and exposed to pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF; 7 Hz, 30 mT). ADSCs were obtained from healthy rats and animals with experimentally-induced obesity, both males and females, pups and adults. The animals were fed with chow with either low (LF diet) or high fat content (HF diet) for 21 days. Then, ADSCs were isolated from extracted adipose tissue and used to establish cell cultures. ADSCs from the first passage were exposed to PEMF three times, 4 hours per exposure, at 24-h intervals (experimentally developed protocol of PEMF stimulation). 24 hours after the last exposure to PEMF, viability parameters of ADSCs were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). The study demonstrated that LF diet exerted a protective effect on PEMF-exposed ADSCs, especially in the case of male and female pups. In turn, the proportion of early apoptotic cells in PEMF-treated ADSC cultures from adult female rats maintained on HF diet turned out to be significantly higher than in other experimental groups.