Effects of 1950 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on Aβ processing in human neuroblastoma and mouse hippocampal neuronal cells. (6th October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Park, Jeongyeon; Kwon, Jong Hwa; Kim, Nam; Song, Kiwon
• Is Part Of: Journal of radiation research. Volume 59:Number 1(2018:Jan.)
• Page Start: 18
• Page End: 26
• Publication Date: 2017-10-06
• Subjects: 1950 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) -- Alzheimer's disease -- Aβ processing -- mouse hippocampal neuronal cell line -- human neuroblastoma cell line -- CHO cell–based 7w-PSML cell line; Radiology, Medical -- Periodicals; Radiobiology -- Periodicals; Radiation -- Periodicals; 616.0757
• DOI: 10.1093/jrr/rrx045
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0449-3060

Abstract

Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease leading to progressive loss of memory and other cognitive functions. One of the well-known pathological markers of AD is the accumulation of amyloid-beta protein (Aβ), and its plaques, in the brain. Recent studies using Tg-5XFAD mice as a model of AD have reported that exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) from cellular phones reduced Aβ plaques in the brain and showed beneficial effects on AD. In this study, we examined whether exposure to 1950 MHz RF-EMF affects Aβ processing in neural cells. We exposed HT22 mouse hippocampal neuronal cells and SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells to RF-EMF (SAR 6 W/kg) for 2 h per day for 3 days, and analyzed the mRNA and protein expression of the key genes related to Aβ processing. When exposed to RF-EMF, mRNA levels of APP, BACE1, ADAM10 and PSEN1 were decreased in HT22, but the mRNA level of APP was not changed in SH-SY5Y cells. The protein expression of APP and BACE1, as well as the secreted Aβ peptide, was not significantly different between RF-EMF–exposed 7w-PSML, HT22 and SH-SY5Y cells and the unexposed controls. These observations suggest that RF-EMF exposure may not have a significant physiological effect on Aβ processing of neural cells in the short term. However, considering that we only exposed HT22 and SH-SY5Y cells to RF-EMF for 2 h per day for 3 days, we cannot exclude the possibility that 1950 MHz RF-EMF induces physiological change in Aβ processing with long-term and continuous exposure.