Involvement of the EGF Receptor in MAPK Signaling Activation by a 50 Hz Magnetic Field in Human Neuroblastoma Cells

Previous studies have shown that a 63-hour, intermittent exposure to a 50 Hz, 100 μT magnetic field (MF) induces in the NB69 line of human neuroblastoma a proliferative response that is mediated by activation of the MAPK pathways ERK1/2 and p38. The present study aims to investigate the potential involvement of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the field-induced cell proliferation and activation of MAPK pathways.

NB69 cultures were MF- or sham-exposed for 5 to 30 minute intervals and 63 hours. Cell proliferation and activation of MAPK-ERK1/2, -p38 and -JNK was analyzed in the presence or absence of erlotinib, an effective inhibitor of EGFR tyrosine kinase. The expression of p-EGFR and MMP-9 in the presence or absence of MF was also studied. Between 3 and 7 replicates of each experiment were performed, using between 3 and 4 samples per experimental condition and replicate. At the end of each replicate, the samples were analyzed at short times (5-30 min) through immunofluorescence and Western blotting, and the growth response was assessed (63 hours interval) through dye exclusion with Trypan blue.

The results confirmed that field exposure induces cell proliferation and activation of ERK1/2, p38 and JNK, and revealed that these effects were blocked with erlotinib. The data also showed that, compared to shamexposed controls, the MF exposure induces early and transient increases in the expression of p-EGFR and MMP-9 at 15 and 5 min from the exposure onset, respectively.

The obtained results reveal that the activation of the MAPK-ERK1/2 and -p38 pathways by the MF is mediated by the EGF receptor. Taken together with our previously published results, this dataset suggests that the proliferative response induced in NB69 by a 63-hour exposure to a weak, power frequency MF, is mediated by early transient activation of EGFR in which MMP-9 would be involved.