Improvement of Spatial Memory Disorder and Hippocampal Damage by Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields in an Alzheimer’s Disease Rat Model

Abstract

Although some epidemiological investigations showed a potential association between long-term exposure of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), no reasonable mechanism can explain this association, and the related animal experiments are rare. In this study, ELF-EMF exposure (50Hz 400µT 60d) combined with D-galactose intraperitoneal (50mg/kg, q.d., 42d) and Aβ25–35 hippocampal (5μl/unilateral, bilateral, single-dose) injection was implemented to establish a complex rat model. Then the effects of ELF-EMF exposure on AD development was studied by using the Morris water maze, pathological analysis, and comparative proteomics. The results showed that ELF-EMF exposure delayed the weight gain of rats, and partially improved cognitive and clinicopathologic symptoms of AD rats. The differential proteomic analysis results suggest that synaptic transmission, oxidative stress, protein degradation, energy metabolism, Tau aggregation, and inflammation involved in the effects mentioned above. Therefore, our findings indicate that certain conditions of ELF-EMF exposure could delay the development of AD in rats.

Study on the Multitarget Synergistic Effects of Kai-Xin-San against Alzheimer’s Disease Based on Systems Biology

“…In order to explore the principle of compatibility in TCM, the treatment of AD with KXS was applied as the working model. Aβ 25-35 -and D-gal-induced rats and Aβ 25-35 -induced PC12 cells were applied to establish AD models [23,24]. Hence, we explained the therapeutic effects of KXS at the molecular, cellular, and animal levels and expounded the biological mechanism and synergism in fighting AD multidimensionally, which could provide research strategies in studying traditional formula.…”

An extremely low-frequency magnetic field can affect CREB protein conformation which may have a role in neuronal activities including memory

“…The experimental results showed that CREB is highly sensitive to ELF magnetic field exposure and the following changes have been observed: (1) Peak positions' shifts and intensity changes were highly noticeable for the bands of amide IV, amide VI and amide II (2). The loss of intensity implies that CREB exposure to magnetic field introduces a damping factor on the amplitude of oscillation which alters molecular vibrations at the bonding sites (3). No major changes in the amide III and amide I region have been observed (4).…”

“…Recent studies have shown that exposure to an extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field increases hippocampal neurogenesis and improves memory [1]. Rats exposed to ELF-MF during cognitive training performed better in both spatial learning and long-term retention of spatial memory [2][3][4]. Other studies have also shown that exposure to ELF-MF can increase the levels of amino acid neurotransmitters and increase the level of dopamine in the thalamus of rat brains [5,6].…”

Microwave fields have little effect on α‐synuclein aggregation in a Caenorhabditis elegans model of Parkinson's disease

“…Similarly, 900 MHz GSM fields caused only modest increases in constitutive HSP70 and HSP90 expression and concomitantly decreased α‐synuclein expression, all of which were attributable to a 0.5 °C increase in temperature [Terro et al, ]. Recent reports using long‐term ELF EMF exposures suggest these did not aggravate disease in mouse models of Alzheimer's or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [Liebl et al, ], and improved both spatial memory disorder and hippocampal damage in a rat model of Alzheimer's [Liu et al, ]. Further studies of EMF effects in tractable models of human neurodegenerative diseases are urgently needed, and any robust effects reported will require exact replication by several independent laboratories.…”