Non-thermal effects of 2.45 GHz microwaves on spindle assembly, mitotic cells and viability of Chinese hamster V-79 cells

The effect of exposure to radiofrequency LTE signal and coexposure to mitomycin-C in Chinese hamster lung fibroblast V79 cells

This study aims to investigate the cellular effects of radiofrequency exposure, 1950 MHz, long-term evolution (LTE) signal, administered alone and in combination with mitomycin-C (MMC), a well-known cytotoxic agent. Chinese hamster lung fibroblast (V79) cells were exposed/sham exposed in a waveguide-based system under strictly controlled conditions of both electromagnetic and environmental parameters, at specific absorption rate (SAR) of 0.3 and 1.25 W/kg. Chromosomal damage (micronuclei formation), oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species [ROS] formation), and cell cycle progression were analyzed after exposure and coexposure. No differences between exposed samples and sham-controls were detected following radiofrequency exposure alone, for all the experimental conditions tested and biological endpoints investigated. When radiofrequency exposure was followed by MMC treatment, 3 h pre-exposure did not modify MMC-induced micronuclei. Pre-exposure of 20 h at 0.3 W/kg did not modify the number of micronuclei induced by MMC, while 1.25 W/kg resulted in a significant reduction of MMC-induced damage. Absence of effects was also detected when CW was used, at both SAR levels. MMC-induced ROS formation resulted significantly decreased at both SAR levels investigated, while cell proliferation and cell cycle progression were not affected by coexposures. The results here reported provide no evidence of direct effects of 1950 MHz, LTE signal. Moreover, they further support our previous findings on the capability of radiofrequency pre-exposure to induce protection from a subsequent toxic treatment, and the key role of the modulated signals and the experimental conditions adopted in eliciting the effect.

A Review and Perspective of Environmental Disinfection Technology Based on Microwave Irradiation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

In the context of COVID-19 sweeping the world, the development of microbial disinfection methods in gas, liquid, and solid media has received widespread attention from researchers. As a disinfection technology that can adapt to different environmental media, microwave-assisted disinfection has the advantages of strong permeability, no secondary pollution, etc. The purpose of this review is to put forward new development requirements for future microwave disinfection strategies by summarizing current microwave disinfection methods and effects. From the perspective of the interaction mechanism of microwave and microorganisms, this review provides a development direction for more accurate and microscopic disinfection mechanism research.

RECENT FINDINGS

Compared to other traditional environmental disinfection techniques, microwave-assisted disinfection means have the advantages of being more destructive, free of secondary contamination, and thorough. Currently, researchers generally agree that the efficiency of microwave disinfection is the result of a combination of thermal and non-thermal effects. However, the performance of microwave disinfection shows the differences in the face of different environmental media as well as different types of microorganisms.

SUMMARY

This review highlights the inactivation mechanism of microwave-assisted disinfection techniques used in different scenarios. Suggestions for promoting the efficiency and overcoming the limitations of low energy utilization, complex reactor design, and inaccurate monitoring methods are proposed.

Study and application status of the nonthermal effects of microwaves in chemistry and materials science - a brief review

Microwaves (MWs) are widely known and used in human life and production activities based on their thermal effects. In contrast, their nonthermal effects are still under debate. Fortunately, the nonthermal effects of MWs have been investigated by an increasing number of researchers and have shown great potential in industrial production. In this review, typical studies that demonstrate the nonthermal effects of MWs in chemistry and materials science are introduced and discussed, and the applications of and the harms that are caused by these effects are summarized to facilitate the safe use of these MW effects. The mechanisms of the nonthermal effects of MWs that have been proposed by researchers with various backgrounds are presented. Because some researchers did not detect nonthermal effects of MWs, four typical relevant studies are identified and introduced. Various types of MW reactors (single-mode and multimode reactors and reactors without a MW cavity) are summarized and compared. Finally, possible directions for future research on the nonthermal effects of MWs are proposed.

This work focuses on summary and analysis of the nonthermal effect of microwaves in chemistry and materials science.

Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field Exposure and Apoptosis: A Scoping Review of In Vitro Studies on Mammalian Cells

In the last decades, experimental studies have been carried out to investigate the effects of radiofrequency (RF, 100 kHz–300 GHz) electromagnetic fields (EMF) exposure on the apoptotic process. As evidence-based critical evaluation of RF and apoptosis in vitro is lacking, we performed a scoping literature review with the aim of systematically mapping the research performed in this area and identifying gaps in knowledge. Eligible for inclusion were in vitro studies assessing apoptosis in mammalian cells exposed to RF-EMF, which met basic quality criteria (sham control, at least three independent experiments, appropriate dosimetry analysis and temperature monitoring). We conducted a systematic literature review and charted data in order to overview the main characteristics of included studies. From the 4362 papers retrieved with our search strategy, 121 were pertinent but, among them, only 42 met basic quality criteria. We pooled data with respect to exposure (frequency, exposure level and duration) and biological parameters (cell type, endpoint), and highlighted some qualitative trends with respect to the detection of significant effect of RF-EMF on the apoptotic process. We provided a qualitative picture of the evidence accumulated so far, and highlighted that the quality of experimental methodology still needs to be highly improved.

Human Fibroblasts In Vitro Exposed to 2.45 GHz Continuous and Pulsed Wave Signals: Evaluation of Biological Effects with a Multimethodological Approach

The increasing exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF), especially from wireless communication devices, raises questions about their possible adverse health effects. So far, several in vitro studies evaluating RF-EMF genotoxic and cytotoxic non-thermal effects have reported contradictory results that could be mainly due to inadequate experimental design and lack of well-characterized exposure systems and conditions. Moreover, a topic poorly investigated is related to signal modulation induced by electromagnetic fields. The aim of this study was to perform an analysis of the potential non-thermal biological effects induced by 2.45 GHz exposures through a characterized exposure system and a multimethodological approach. Human fibroblasts were exposed to continuous (CW) and pulsed (PW) signals for 2 h in a wire patch cell-based exposure system at the specific absorption rate (SAR) of 0.7 W/kg. The evaluation of the potential biological effects was carried out through a multimethodological approach, including classical biological markers (genotoxic, cell cycle, and ultrastructural) and the evaluation of gene expression profile through the powerful high-throughput next generation sequencing (NGS) RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) approach. Our results suggest that 2.45 GHz radiofrequency fields did not induce significant biological effects at a cellular or molecular level for the evaluated exposure parameters and conditions.

Microtubular structure impairment after GSM-modulated RF radiation exposure

The objective of the study was to investigate whether low-level 915 MHz GSM-modulated radiofrequency (RF) radiation impairs microtubular structure and affects normal cell growth. V79 cells were exposed to a GSM-modulated field in a Gigahertz Transversal Electromagnetic Mode cell (GTEM cell) for 1, 2, and 3 h. Signal generator combined with power and chip modulator generated the electromagnetic field (EMF). The electric field strength was adjusted to 10, 20, and 30 V/m, and the average specific absorption rate (SAR) was calculated to be 0.23, 0.8, and 1.6 W/kg. The structure of microtubule proteins was assessed by indirect immunocytochemistry, and cell growth was determined based on cell counts taken every day over six post-exposure days. Three-hour radiation exposure significantly altered microtubule structure regardless of the electric field strength. Moreover, on the third post-exposure day, three-hour radiation significantly reduced cell growth, regardless of field strength. The same was observed with two-hour exposure at 20 and 30 V/m. In conclusion, 915 MHz GSM-modulated RF radiation affects microtubular proteins in a time-dependent manner, which, in turn, affects cell proliferation. Our future research will focus on microtubule structure throughout the cell cycle and RF radiation effects on mitotic spindle.

A meta-analysis of in vitro exposures to weak radiofrequency radiation exposure from mobile phones (1990-2015)

To function, mobile phone systems require transmitters that emit and receive radiofrequency signals over an extended geographical area exposing humans in all stages of development ranging from in-utero, early childhood, adolescents and adults. This study evaluates the question of the impact of radiofrequency radiation on living organisms in vitro studies. In this study, we abstract data from 300 peer-reviewed scientific publications (1990-2015) describing 1127 experimental observations in cell-based in vitro models. Our first analysis of these data found that out of 746 human cell experiments, 45.3% indicated cell changes, whereas 54.7% indicated no changes (p = 0.001). Realizing that there are profound distinctions between cell types in terms of age, rate of proliferation and apoptosis, and other characteristics and that RF signals can be characterized in terms of polarity, information content, frequency, Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) and power, we further refined our analysis to determine if there were some distinct properties of negative and positive findings associated with these specific characteristics. We further analyzed the data taking into account the cumulative effect (SAR × exposure time) to acquire the cumulative energy absorption of experiments due to radiofrequency exposure, which we believe, has not been fully considered previously. When the frequency of signals, length and type of exposure, and maturity, rate of growth (doubling time), apoptosis and other properties of individual cell types are considered, our results identify a number of potential non-thermal effects of radiofrequency fields that are restricted to a subset of specific faster-growing less differentiated cell types such as human spermatozoa (based on 19 reported experiments, p-value = 0.002) and human epithelial cells (based on 89 reported experiments, p-value < 0.0001). In contrast, for mature, differentiated adult cells of Glia (p = 0.001) and Glioblastoma (p < 0.0001) and adult human blood lymphocytes (p < 0.0001) there are no statistically significant differences for these more slowly reproducing cell lines. Thus, we show that RF induces significant changes in human cells (45.3%), and in faster-growing rat/mouse cell dataset (47.3%). In parallel with this finding, further analysis of faster-growing cells from other species (chicken, rabbit, pig, frog, snail) indicates that most undergo significant changes (74.4%) when exposed to RF. This study confirms observations from the REFLEX project, Belyaev and others that cellular response varies with signal properties. We concur that differentiation of cell type thus constitutes a critical piece of information and should be useful as a reference for many researchers planning additional studies. Sponsorship bias is also a factor that we did not take into account in this analysis.

Radiofrequency radiation at 2.856 GHz does not affect key cellular endpoints in neuron-like PC12 cells

To investigate the potential cytotoxicity of radiofrequency (RF) radiation on central nervous system, rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells were exposed to 2.856 GHz RF radiation at a specific absorption rate (SAR) of 4 W/kg for 8 h a day for 2 days in 35 mm Petri dishes. During exposure, the real-time variation of the culture medium temperature was monitored in the first hour. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration, and cell apoptosis rate were assessed immediately after exposure by flow cytometry. The results showed that the medium temperature raised about 0.93 °C, but no significant changes were observed in apoptosis, ROS levels or intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration after treatment. Although several studies suggested that RF radiation does indeed cause neurological effects, this study presented inconsistent results, indicating that 2.856 GHz RF radiation exposure at a SAR of 4 W/kg does not have a dramatic impact on PC12 cells, and suggests the need for further investigation on the key cellular endpoints of other nerve cells after exposure to RF radiation.

Study of the effects of 0.15 terahertz radiation on genome integrity of adult fibroblasts

The applications of Terahertz (THz) technologies have significantly developed in recent years, and the complete understanding of the biological effects of exposure to THz radiation is becoming increasingly important. In a previous study, we found that THz radiation induced genomic damage in fetal fibroblasts. Although these cells demonstrated to be a useful model, exposure of human foetuses to THz radiation is highly improbable. Conversely, THz irradiation of adult dermal tissues is cause of possible concern for some professional and nonprofessional categories. Therefore, we extended our study to the investigation of the effects of THz radiation on adult fibroblasts (HDF). In this work, the effects of THz exposure on HDF cells genome integrity, cell cycle, cytological ultrastructure and proteins expression were assessed. Results of centromere-negative micronuclei frequencies, phosphorylation of H2AX histone, and telomere length modulation indicated no induction of DNA damage. Concordantly, no changes in the expression of proteins associated with DNA damage sensing and repair were detected. Conversely, our results showed an increase of centromere-positive micronuclei frequencies and chromosomal nondisjunction events, indicating induction of aneuploidy. Therefore, our results indicate that THz radiation exposure may affect genome integrity through aneugenic effects, and not by DNA breakage. Our findings are compared to published studies, and possible biophysical mechanisms are discussed. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 59:476-487, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Oxidative stress response in SH-SY5Y cells exposed to short-term 1800 MHz radiofrequency radiation

The exact mechanism that could explain the effects of radiofrequency (RF) radiation exposure at non-thermal level is still unknown. Increasing evidence suggests a possible involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and development of oxidative stress. To test the proposed hypothesis, human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) were exposed to 1800 MHz short-term RF exposure for 10, 30 and 60 minutes. Electric field strength within Gigahertz Transverse Electromagnetic cell (GTEM) was 30 V m^-1 and specific absorption rate (SAR) was calculated to be 1.6 W kg^-1. Cellular viability was measured by MTT assay and level of ROS was determined by fluorescent probe 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate. Concentrations of malondialdehyde and protein carbonyls were used to assess lipid and protein oxidative damage and antioxidant activity was evaluated by measuring concentrations of total glutathione (GSH). After radiation exposure, viability of irradiated cells remained within normal physiological values. Significantly higher ROS level was observed for every radiation exposure time. After 60 min of exposure, the applied radiation caused significant lipid and protein damage. The highest GSH concentration was detected after 10 minute-exposure. The results of our study showed enhanced susceptibility of SH-SY5Y cells for development of oxidative stress even after short-term RF exposure.

Flavonoids of Rosa roxburghii Tratt Exhibit Anti-Apoptosis Properties by Regulating PARP-1/AIF

Radioprotection is an important approach to reduce the side-effects of radiotherapy. The radioprotective effect of the flavonoids of Rosa roxburghii Tratt (FRT) has been confirmed, and the mechanism has been identified as theBcl-2/caspase-3/PARP-1 signaling pathway. In this study, we investigated the effects of FRT on the intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM), and vascular cell adhesion protein (VCAM) in addition to apoptosis-related proteins such as Bax/Bcl-2, p-ERK/ERK, p-p53/p53, and p-p38/p38. In the present study, we focused on the effect of FRT on PARP-1/AIF. Ionizing radiation triggered the activation of PARP-1 and AIF translocation from the mitochondrion to the nucleus. The inhibition of PARP-1/AIF signaling pathway by FRT was investigated. Our results showed that the expressions of Bax/Bcl-2, p-ERK/ ERK, p-p53/p53, and p-p38/p38 were decreased after FRT treatment compared with the radiation-treated group. FRT inhibited PARP-1 activation to inhibit AIF translocation from mitochondrion to nucleus. Pretreatment with FRT diminished the comet's tail and reduced fragments in six Gy-irradiated thymocytes compared with the irradiated cells without FRT treatment. We conclude that FRT enhanced radioprotection at least partially by regulating PARP-1/AIF to reduce apoptosis. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 3943-3952, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of Normothermic Conditioned Microwave Irradiation on Cultured Cells Using an Irradiation System with Semiconductor Oscillator and Thermo-regulatory Applicator

We investigated the effects of microwave irradiation under normothermic conditions on cultured cells. For this study, we developed an irradiation system constituted with semiconductor microwave oscillator (2.45 GHz) and thermos-regulatory applicator, which could irradiate microwaves at varied output powers to maintain the temperature of cultured cells at 37 °C. Seven out of eight types of cultured cells were killed by microwave irradiation, where four were not affected by thermal treatment at 42.5 °C. Since the dielectric properties such as ε’, ε” and tanδ showed similar values at 2.45 GHz among cell types and media, the degree of microwave energy absorbed by cells might be almost the same among cell types. Thus, the vulnerability of cells to microwave irradiation might be different among cell types. In HL-60 cells, which were the most sensitive to microwave irradiation, the viability decreased as irradiation time and irradiation output increased; accordingly, the decrease in viability was correlated to an increase in total joule. However, when a high or low amount of joules per minute was supplied, the correlation between cellular viability and total joules became relatively weak. It is hypothesized that kinds of cancer cells are efficiently killed by respective specific output of microwave under normothermic cellular conditions.

Effect of radiofrequency radiation in cultured mammalian cells: A review

The use of mobile phone related technologies will continue to increase in the foreseeable future worldwide. This has drawn attention to the probable interaction of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation with different biological targets. Studies have been conducted on various organisms to evaluate the alleged ill-effect on health. We have therefore attempted to review those work limited to in vitro cultured cells where irradiation conditions were well controlled. Different investigators have studied varied endpoints like DNA damage, cell cycle arrest, reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, cellular morphology and viability to weigh the genotoxic effect of such radiation by utilizing different frequencies and dose rates under various irradiation conditions that include continuous or pulsed exposures and also amplitude- or frequency-modulated waves. Cells adapt to change in their intra and extracellular environment from different chemical and physical stimuli through organized alterations in gene or protein expression that result in the induction of stress responses. Many studies have focused on such effects for risk estimations. Though the effects of microwave radiation on cells are often not pronounced, some investigators have therefore combined radiofrequency radiation with other physical or chemical agents to observe whether the effects of such agents were augmented or not. Such reports in cultured cellular systems have also included in this review. The findings from different workers have revealed that, effects were dependent on cell type and the endpoint selection. However, contradictory findings were also observed in same cell types with same assay, in such cases the specific absorption rate (SAR) values were significant.

Enhancement of Apoptosis by Titanium Alloy Internal Fixations during Microwave Treatments for Fractures: An Animal Study

Objective

Microwaves are used in one method of physical therapy and can increase muscle tissue temperature which is useful for improving muscle, tendon and bone injuries. In the study, we sought to determine whether titanium alloy internal fixations influence apoptosis in tissues subjected to microwave treatments at 2,450 MHz and 40 W during the healing of fractures because this issue is not yet fully understood.

Methods

In this study, titanium alloy internal fixations were used to treat 3.0-mm transverse osteotomies in the middle of New Zealand rabbits’ femurs. After the operation, 30-day microwave treatments were applied to the 3.0 mm transverse osteotomies 3 days after the operation. The changes in the temperatures of the muscle tissues in front of the implants or the 3.0 mm transverse osteotomies were measured during the microwave treatments. To characterize the effects of titanium alloy internal fixations on apoptosis in the muscles after microwave treatment, we performed TUNEL assays, fluorescent real-time (quantitative) PCR, western blotting analyses, reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection and transmission electron microscopy examinations.

Results

The temperatures were markedly increased in the animals with the titanium alloy implants. Apoptosis in the muscle cells of the implanted group was significantly more extensive than that in the non-implanted control group at different time points. Transmission electron microscopy examinations of the skeletal muscles of the implanted groups revealed muscular mitochondrial swelling, vacuolization. ROS, Bax and Hsp70 were up-regulated, and Bcl-2 was down-regulated in the implanted group.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that titanium alloy internal fixations caused greater muscular tissue cell apoptosis following 2,450 MHz, 40 W microwave treatments in this rabbit femur fracture models.

Investigation of the effects of 2.1 GHz microwave radiation on mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), apoptotic activity and cell viability in human breast fibroblast cells

In the present study we aimed to investigate the effects of 2.1 GHz Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) modulated Microwave (MW) Radiation on cell survival and apoptotic activity of human breast fibroblast cells. The cell cultures were exposed to W-CDMA modulated MW at 2.1 GHz at a SAR level of 0.607 W/kg for 4 and 24 h. The cell viability was assessed by MTT [3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] method. The percentage of apoptotic cells was analyzed by Annexin V-FITC and PI staining. 5,5',6,6'-Tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'- tetraethylbenzimidazolcarbocyanine iodide (JC-1) was used to measure Mitochondrial Membrane Potential (ΔΨm). sFasL and Fas/APO-1 protein levels were determined by ELISA method. 2.1 GHz MW radiation was shown to be able to inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in human breast fibroblast cells. The cell viability of MW-exposed cells was decreased significantly. The percentages of Annexin V-FITC positive cells were higher in MW groups. ΔΨm was decreased significantly due to MW radiation exposure. However, neither sFas nor FasL level was significantly changed in MW-exposed fibroblast cells. The results of this study showed that 2.1 GHz W-CDMA modulated MW radiation-induced apoptotic cell death via the mitochondrial pathway.

Effects of microwave exposure and Gemcitabine treatment on apoptotic activity in Burkitt's lymphoma (Raji) cells

We investigated the effects of 1.8 MHz Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)-modulated microwave (MW) radiation on apoptotic level and cell viability of Burkitt's lymphoma (Raji) cells with or without Gemcitabine, which exhibits cell phase specificity, primarily killing cells undergoing DNA synthesis (S-phase). Raji cells were exposed to 1.8 GHz GSM-modulated MW radiation at a specific absorption rate (SAR) of 0.350 W/kg in a CO2 incubator. The duration of the exposure was 24 h. The amount of apoptotic cells was analyzed using Annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide (PI) staining with flow cytometer. The apoptotic activity of MW exposed Raji cells was increased significantly. In addition, cell viability of exposed samples was significantly decreased. Combined exposure of MW and Gemcitabine increased the amount of apoptotic cells than MW radiation alone. Moreover, viability of MW + Gemcitabine exposed cells was lower than that of cells exposed only to MW. These results demonstrated that MW radiation exposure and Gemcitabine treatment have a synergistic effect on apoptotic activity of Raji cells.

Neural cell apoptosis induced by microwave exposure through mitochondria-dependent caspase-3 pathway

To determine whether microwave (MW) radiation induces neural cell apoptosis, differentiated PC12 cells and Wistar rats were exposed to 2.856 GHz for 5 min and 15 min, respectively, at an average power density of 30  mW/cm². JC-1 and TUNEL staining detected significant apoptotic events, such as the loss of mitochondria membrane potential and DNA fragmentation, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy and Hoechst staining were used to observe chromatin ultrastructure and apoptotic body formation. Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining was used to quantify the level of apoptosis. The expressions of Bax, Bcl-2, cytochrome c, cleaved caspase-3 and PARP were examined by immunoblotting or immunocytochemistry. Caspase-3 activity was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed chromatin condensation and apoptotic body formation in neural cells 6h after microwave exposure. Moreover, the mitochondria membrane potential decreased, DNA fragmentation increased, leading to an increase in the apoptotic cell percentage. Furthermore, the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, expression of cytochrome c, cleaved caspase-3 and PARP all increased. In conclusion, microwave radiation induced neural cell apoptosis via the classical mitochondria-dependent caspase-3 pathway. This study may provide the experimental basis for further investigation of the mechanism of the neurological effects induced by microwave radiation.

Spatial memory and learning performance and its relationship to protein synthesis of Swiss albino mice exposed to 10 GHz microwaves

PURPOSE

To study the possible role of microwave (MW) exposure on spatial memory of Swiss albino mice and its relationship to protein concentration in whole brain.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Mice were exposed to 10 GHz (Giga Hertz) microwaves with the power density of 0.25 mW/cm(2) (milliwatt per centimeter square) with average whole body specific absorption rate (SAR) 0.1790 W/kg daily for 2 hours per day (h/day) for 30 days. After exposure mice were tested for spatial memory performance using Morris water maze test (MWT). For this purpose mice (6-8 weeks old) were divided into two groups: (i) Sham exposed, and (ii) microwaves exposed. After initial training for two days, MWT was performed for another 6 days. Protein was estimated 48 h after exposure and immediately after completion of MWT.

RESULTS

Both sham-exposed and microwaves-exposed animals showed a significant decrease in escape time with training. Microwaves-exposed animals had statistically significant higher mean latency to reach the target quadrant compared to sham exposed. A concurrent decrease in protein levels was estimated in whole brain of the exposed mice compared to sham-exposed mice.

CONCLUSIONS

It can be concluded from the current study that exposure to microwave radiation caused decrements in the ability of mice to learn the special memory task, this may be due to simultaneous decrease in protein levels in the brain of mice.