Exposure to ELF magnetic field tuned to Zn inhibits growth of cancer cells

Abstract

The effects of ELF alternating magnetic fields tuned to Zn(2+) on the growth of cancer cells with different status of p53 were investigated using a cell proliferation assay. Human cancer cells HeLa (cervix cancer, p53(+/+)), Saos-2 and Saos-2-His-273 (osteosarcoma, p53(-/-) and p53 His-273 mutant, respectively), H1299tTA and H1299tTA-His175 (lung carcinoma, p53(-/-) and p53 His-175 mutant), and normal human fibroblasts VH-10 (p53(+/+)) were used. Exposure parameters were calculated for the first harmonic of Zn(2+) based either on the magnetic parametric resonance (MPR) model of Lednev or the ion parametric resonance (IPR) model of Blanchard and Blackman. ELF exposure was for 72 and 96 h. The vertical alternating field was 20 Hz at amplitudes of either 38.7 or 77.4 microT (peaks, IPR or MPR, respectively). The vertical static magnetic field was 43 microT, and the horizontal static magnetic field was zeroed. Treatments of cells with PRIMA-1 and gamma-rays were used as positive controls. Growth inhibition was observed in cells after exposure to ELF at 38.7 microT. Inhibition of HeLa, VH-10, and Saos-2-His-273 cells was statistically significant, P=0.0003, 0.02, and 0.006, respectively. No consistent ELF effects following exposure 77.4 microT were seen. PRIMA-1 inhibited the growth of all cell lines with the strongest effect in mutant p53-carrying cell line H1299tTA-His175. The effects of gamma-rays were relatively weak, suggesting that the cell proliferation assay under conditions employed in this study is not very sensitive to apoptosis. In conclusion, ELF under conditions of exposure tuned to Zn(2+) according to the IPR model inhibited the growth of cancer and normal cells. No clear relationship of the observed growth inhibition to p53 status was found. Further experiments, using complementary techniques, are required to test whether p53 reactivation by ELF is feasible.

Real‐time measurement of cytosolic free calcium concentration in Jurkat cells during ELF magnetic field exposure and evaluation of the role of cell cycle

“…These MF conditions were selected since in our laboratory they have been associated with effects on [Ca 2þ ] c in vitro [McCreary et al, 2002] and on the response to a thermal stimulus in vivo [Prato et al, 1995[Prato et al, , 2000. In addition, the combination of timevarying and static MF satisfied the theoretical predictions of the ion resonance model and its variants [Lednev, 1991;Blanchard and Blackman, 1994], which have shown consistency with experimental results from other laboratories [Blackman et al, 1995;Baureus Koch et al, 2003;Sarimov et al, 2005].…”

Extremely Low-Frequency Magnetic Field Decreased Calcium, Zinc and Magnesium Levels in Costa of Rat

“…Among other ions, Zn 2+ is important and has been implicated in the biological effects of MFs. Presumably, this is associated with effects on Zn 2+ -containing proteins, including transcription factors and topoisomerases [30]. According to the results of Zn level measured in the present study, it can be suggested that long-term ELF-MF exposure (especially 500 μT) can alter Zn levels in the costa of rats.…”

New theoretical treatment of ion resonance phenomena

“…In the final analysis what matters is whether the physiological response to magnetic fields follows the functional dependence of variables such as q/m, B AC , and/or o as these are expressed in one theoretical model or another. The various experimental reports [Blackman et al, 1995;Koch et al, 2003;Sarimov et al, 2005] that have explored this question unfortunately were not designed to test the present model. Nevertheless, it is clear that our model lends itself to straightforward experimental trials.…”

“…Furthermore, the explicit dependence on intensity allows one to design experiments to test Equation (1). A number of observers [Shuvalova et al, 1991;Blackman et al, 1994;Trillo et al, 1996;Prato et al, 2000;BerdenZrimec and Jerman, 2001;Koch et al, 2003;Sarimov et al, 2005] have reported results that are in part supportive of Equation (1) or the similar formulation by Blanchard and Blackman [1994]. Nevertheless, objections have arisen based on fundamental energy constraints [Adair, 1992] inasmuch as Equation (1) describes the probability for sub-thermal transitions between a pair of deeply energetic adjacent binding states.…”