Electrochemical Information Transfer at Cell Surfaces and Junctions — Application to the Study and Manipulation of Cell Regulation. In: Keyzer H, Gutmann F, editors. Bioelectrochemistry. Boston: Springer US; 1980. pp. 353-96. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4613-3117-9_20]

Evidence that pulsed electromagnetic fields inhibit coupling of adenylate cyclase by parathyroid hormone in bone cells

To investigate the biochemical effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) on bone in particular and on cell membrane-associated activity in general, we have studied the modification by PEMF of cAMP metabolism in primary calvarial bone cells. We report that PEMF inhibited cAMP accumulation stimulated by bovine PTH(1-34) peptide. After a 1-hr PEMF exposure, the cAMP response to PTH (2-7 min) was decreased in exposed cells to 48-70% (p less than 0.05) of the response of unexposed cells; furthermore, this inhibition disappeared after 10-20 min with PTH. This inhibition occurred at submaximal PTH doses (2.4-7.3 nM) and no effect was observed at maximal PTH doses (24 nM). Thus with PEMF, the dose response curve for PTH became 0.5 log unit less sensitive. PEMF did not affect the cAMP response to cholera toxin and forskolin. However, when submaximal doses of both forskolin (0.5-1.0 microM) and PTH (0.24-2.4 nM) were used, forskolin prevented inhibition of cAMP production by PEMF in the range of fields and stimulus epochs which normally inhibit cAMP production. It is proposed that PEMF inhibits PTH-stimulated coupling of the adenylate cyclase system and that this inhibition does not affect the intrinsic activity of the G-protein and the catalytic subunit.

Sine waves enhance cellular transcription

We previously showed that quasirectangular, asymmetrical, pulsed electromagnetic (EM) fields of low frequency can induce increased transcription in Sciara salivary gland cells. A symmetrical sine wave with the same frequency as known biologically effective asymmetric signals was studied in the present investigations. The results demonstrated that signal shape was not a major factor in causing augmented transcription. The pattern of grain density in transcription autoradiograms, as well as the size classes of RNA responsive to EM fields, was the same irrespective of asymmetry or symmetry of the signal. Following short-term exposure of the cells to either type of EM field, S values of new transcripts were consistent with those expected for processed and unprocessed messenger RNA.

Electromagnetic modulation of biological processes: influence of culture media and significance of methodology in the Ca-uptake by embryonal chick tibia in vitro

The present studies are aimed at establishing molecular correlations in the interaction of very low frequency electromagnetic fields with biological systems. Ca-uptake by chick embryo tibia rudiment in short-term culture was a useful model. Tibiae of 8- to 10-day-old chick embryos were incubated 60 min in simplified culture media in the presence of 45Ca at 37.5 +/- 0.5 degrees C either inside or outside pulsating electromagnetic fields. Radioactivity count in the medium was the most accurate method for determining Ca-uptake by the rudiment. The effect of the fields on the Ca-uptake depended markedly on the chemical composition of the culture medium: bicarbonate was indispensable; glucose or sucrose was important; phosphate was potentiating; ethanol, Mg2+, and NaF were stimulating. The field had no effect in (a) blank medium without tibia, (b) tibiae that had been altered by fixation with aqueous glutaraldehyde, (c) nonliving artificial systems endowed with great or small ion sorption capacity. The unique bicarbonate effect with living systems and the passive behavior of nonliving ion sorbing systems prompt the suggestion that the electromagnetic field probably couples with specific processes, such as a bicarbonate-dependent Ca2+ ATPase and the active ion transport, at the cell membrane level. The molecular mechanisms remain to be established.

Microbiological implications of electric field effects. III. Stimulation of yeast protoplast fusion by electric field pulses

Prototrophic colonies could be selected on minimal medium after mixing of protoplasts from diauxotrophic mutants of the yeasts Saccharomycopsis lipolytica and/or Lodderomyces elongisporus and treatment with polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the presence of calcium chloride. This is the result of protoplast fusion and complementation of auxotrophic deficiencies. Under identical conditions an electric field pulse in the mus-range applied via an electric discharge to the protoplast-PEG mixture resulted in a drastic enhancement of the protoplast fusion rate. The presence of polyethylene glycol was demonstrated to be a prerequisite for fusion in this case, too. The frequency of hybrid formation detected a prototrophic colonies could be increased in the case of intraspecific fusion at initial electric field strengths between 2.5 and 5 kV . cm-1. The application of an electric field pulse of proper strength and duration to a yeast protoplast suspension turned out to be a more effective tool in production of fusion products that conventional methods. Large numbers of parasexual hybrids for different selection programmes in yeast genetics and for industrial purpose may be delivered by this technique.