Variations of glutamate concentration within synaptic cleft in the presence of electromagnetic fields: an artificial neural networks study.

Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter that is released by the majority of central nervous system synapses and is involved in developmental processes, cognitive functions, learning and memory. Excessive elevated concentrations of Glu in synaptic cleft results in neural cell apoptosis which is called excitotoxicity causing neurodegenerative diseases. Hence, we investigated the possibility of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) as a risk factor which is able to change Glu concentration in synaptic clef. Synaptosomes as a model of nervous terminal were exposed to ELF-EMF for 15-55 min in flux intensity range from 0.1 to 2 mT and frequency range from 50 to 230 Hz. Finally, all raw data by INForm v4.02 software as an artificial neural network program was analyzed to predict the effect of whole mentioned range spectra. The results showed the tolerance of all effects between the ranges from -35 to +40 % compared to normal state when glutamatergic systems exposed to ELF-EMF. It indicates that glutamatergic system attempts to compensate environmental changes though release or reuptake in order to keep the system safe. Regarding to the wide range of ELF-EMF acquired in this study, the obtained outcomes have potential for developing treatments based on ELF-EMF for some neurological diseases; however, in vivo experiments on the cross linking responses between glutamatergic and cholinergic systems in the presence of ELF-EMF would be needed.

Synaptosomal acetylcholinesterase activity variation pattern in the presence of electromagnetic fields.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is the enzyme that controls the acetylcholine (ACh) concentrations in cholinergic synaptic clefts by hydrolyzing ACh to choline and acetate. Cholinergic synapses are involved in important functions such as learning, memory and cognition. In this study, we investigated the effects of a wide range of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) on synaptic ACh concentrations through AChE enzyme activity assay. Synaptosome suspensions were prepared as a neural terminus from cerebral cortex of sheep brain. Prepared synaptosomes were exposed to ELF-EMFs with frequency ranging from 50 Hz to 230 Hz for duration between 15 and 120 min and flux intensity between 0.1 mT and 1.7 mT. Consequently, AChE activity was measured by Ellman method. Raw data were analyzed by neural network based software, Inform 4.02, to predict AChE activity pattern through nine 3D curves. These curves showed that AChE activity decreases when exposed to ELF-EMFs of 1.2 mT to 1.7 mT intensity and 50 Hz to 90 Hz frequency. Thus, it is proposed that exposure to fields of in this range of frequency-intensity would be effective in clinical treatments of cholinergic disorders to increase synaptic ACh concentration. However, more in vivo experiments are needed to develop this suggested treatment.