Calcium spiking activity and baseline calcium levels in ROS 17/2.8 cells exposed to extremely low frequency
R Shahidain1, R D Mullins, J E Sisken
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington 40536, USA.
Purpose:
To determine whether extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields can alter average free cytosolic calcium ion concentrations [Ca2+]i and transient increases in [Ca2+]i in populations of ROS 17/2.8 cells.
Materials And Methods:
Cells loaded with the calcium-selective luminescent photoprotein, aequorin, were placed in the bottom of a sample chamber, which was inserted into the gap of a previously described air gap reactor system where they were exposed either to sinusoidal magnetic fields at a variety of frequencies and flux densities or to sham conditions. Real-time recordings of photon counts due to aequorin luminescence were obtained and data were analysed with the use of probit plots.
Results:
Probit plots of data obtained from cells exposed to the various magnetic fields were virtually superimposable over the data obtained for the same cultures during pre- and post-exposure sham or no-field periods.
Conclusion:
These experiments provided no evidence for any effects of ELF EMF, either positive or negative, on either average [Ca2+]i or on transient increases in [Ca2+]i.
