Antiadipogenic effects of subthermal electric stimulation at 448 kHz on differentiating human mesenchymal stem cells

Abstract

The 448 kHz capacitive-resistive electric transfer (CRET) is an electrothermal therapy currently applied in anticellulite and antiobesity treatments. The aim of the present study was to determine whether exposure to the CRET electric signal at subthermal doses affected early adipogenic processes in adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) from human donors. ADSC were incubated for 2 or 9 days in the presence of adipogenic medium, and exposed or sham-exposed to 5 min pulses of 448 kHz electric signal at 50 µA/mm2 during the last 48 h of the incubation. Colorimetric, immunofluorescence, western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays were performed to assess adipogenic differentiation of the ADSC. Electric stimulation significantly decreased cytoplasmic lipid content, after both 2 and 9 days of differentiation. The antiadipogenic response in the 9 day samples was accompanied by activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1/2, decreased expression and partial inactivation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ, which was translocated from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, together with a significant decrease in the expression levels of the PPARG1 gene, perilipin, angiopoietin-like protein 4 and fatty acid synthase. These results demonstrated that subthermal stimulation with CRET interferes with the early adipogenic differentiation in ADSC, indicating that the electric stimulus itself can modulate processes controlling the synthesis and mobilization of fat, even in the absence of the concomitant thermal and mechanical components of the thermoelectric therapy CRET.

Chondrogenic Differentiation of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells by Radiofrequency Electric Stimulation

“…There is ample evidence that stimulation with electric currents and electric and/or magnetic fields can induce a variety of cellular and molecular responses, including microfilament reorganization [1], redistribution of cell surface receptors [2] or cell migration [3], as well as changes in intracellular calcium dynamics [4] and in stem cell proliferation or differentiation [5][6][7]. This body of evidence has provided indications that some electric and/or magnetic stimuli may exert favourable effects in the control of cell and tissue homeostasis, thus intervening in tissue repair and regeneration processes.…”

Clinical Application of Impact Capacitive – Resistive Electric Transfer 448 kHz on Human Cells

“…The 448 kHz frequency initiates a linear ion flow resulting in intercellular exchange and a cascade of biochemical processes in the cell. Higher frequencies, above 448 kHz, cause ions to revolve around their axis resulting in a molecular friction accompanying ion rotation; and this causes only a strong thermal effect without intercellular ion exchange [2,9].…”

“…The results indicate effectiveness of the CRET therapy in repair processes in an injured area by active proliferation of cells obtained from adipose tissues. The adipose tissue is the best source of stem cells in adult people [2].…”

“…Following TGF-b2 and TGF-b3 stimulation, the synthesis of proteoglycans and type II collagen increased. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) [2,4,6] participate in MSC differentiation towards cartilage cells [26]. Cartilage regeneration is a difficult process due to high resistance, low proliferation index and poor vascularisation of this tissue.…”

“…Beneficial therapeutic effects were also demonstrated in patients with damaged bone tissue, and with degenerative lesions undergoing CRET-based treatment. The studies showed that apart from differentiation of stem cells into osteoblasts (bone cells), an activity of alkaline phosphatase also increases, calcium deposits are formed and mineralisation and formation of bone tissue accelerates [2]. Figure 1 shows an effect of the electrical impulse in the CRET mode on proliferation of cells isolated from the adipose tissue.…”