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The generation of oscillations and global Ca2+ waves relies on the spatio-temporal recruitment of elementary Ca2+ signals, such as 'Ca2+ puffs'. Each elementary signal contributes a small amount of Ca2+ into the cytoplasm, progressively promoting neighboring Ca2+ release sites into an excitable state. Previous studies have indicated that increases in frequency or amplitude of such hormone-evoked elementary Ca2+ signals are necessary to initiate Ca2+ wave propagation. In the present study, an electroporation device was used to rapidly and reversibly permeabilize the plasma membrane of HeLa cells and to allow a limited influx of Ca2+. With low field intensities (100-500 V/cm), brief (50-100 micros) electroporation triggered localized Ca2+ signals that resembled hormone-evoked Ca2+ puffs, but not global signals. With such low intensity electroporative pulses, the Ca2+ influx component was usually undetectable, confirming that the electroporation-induced local signals represented Ca2+ puffs arising from the opening of intracellular Ca2+ release channels. Increasing either the frequency at which low-intensity electroporative pulses were applied, or the intensity of a single electroporative pulse (>500 V/cm), resulted in caffeine-sensitive regenerative Ca2+ waves. We suggest that Ca2+ puffs caused by electroporation functionally mimic hormone-evoked elementary events and can activate global Ca2+ signals if they provide a sufficient trigger.

Exposure of B-lineage lymphoid cells to a 100 microT 60 Hz AC magnetic field has been reported to stimulate the rapid activation of Lyn and Syk tyrosine kinases and the induction of protein tyrosine phosphorylation. These findings are significant because of the critical role played by these B cell signaling events in the control of growth and differentiation, and therefore the potential of electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure to induce cancer. We report the first study carried out with the aim of reproducing the reported EMF effects on Lyn and Syk tyrosine kinases. The system used enabled EMF exposure conditions to be carefully controlled and also allowed experiments to be performed blind. The effects of a 100 microT 60 Hz AC magnetic field on protein tyrosine phosphorylation and on Lyn and Syk tyrosine kinase activities were investigated in Nalm-6 and DT40 B cells in the absence and presence of a 46 microT DC magnetic field. However, no significant effects of low-energy electromagnetic fields on tyrosine kinase activities or protein phosphorylation were observed.