Electromagnetic field effects on cells of the immune system: the role of calcium signaling.

During the past decade considerable evidence has accumulated demonstrating that nonthermal exposures of cells of the immune system to extremely low-frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields (< 300 Hz) can elicit cellular changes that might be relevant to in vivo immune activity. A similar responsiveness to nonionizing electromagnetic energy in this frequency range has also been documented for tissues of the neuroendocrine and musculoskeletal system. However, knowledge about the underlying biological mechanisms by which such fields can induce cellular changes is still very limited. It is generally believed that the cell membrane and Ca(2+)-regulated activity is involved in bioactive ELF field coupling to living systems. This article begins with a short review of the current state of knowledge concerning the effects of nonthermal levels of ELF electromagnetic fields on the biochemistry and activity of immune cells and then closely examines new results that suggest a role for Ca2+ in the induction of these cellular field effects. Based on these findings it is proposed that membrane-mediated Ca2+ signaling processes are involved in the mediation of field effects on the immune system.     

MRI中电磁场对神经及心脏刺激的研究进展

电磁场对人体产生的生物效应近年来引起人们的极大关注。文章先简单介绍了电磁场生物效应的早期研究,然后着重介绍现代磁共振医学成像应用中时变电磁场对神经和心脏刺激的潜在危险,并对该领域的研究方法和研究进展做出综述和展望。     

The influence of a low- and high-frequency electromagnetic fields on seeds

It was shown that the exposure of seeds in the rest phase to a low-frequency pulse electromagnetic field leads to substantial changes in seed physiology during germination. The changes at the physiological level in sprouting seeds depend not only on the frequency of the external EMF and its power characteristics but also on the kind of seeds. Low- and high-frequency electromagnetic fields are able to produce a biostimulation effect; however, the mechanisms of its appearance are different in their nature. The biochemical studies of seeds after EMF treatment in the modes resulting in expressed biological effects showed an increase in the activity of alpha-amylase, which testifies an increase in the gibberellin output and in the activity of the hydrolytic enzyme sour phosphatase. The response of seeds to EMF treatment demonstrates the possibility of electromagnetic control of growth processes.     

Mechanism of the effect of weak electromagnetic fields on the living body]

By using the model conceptions of the dielectric polarization theory, a new mechanism for the effect of electromagnetic field was proposed. The model enables one to explain the experimentally observed influence of low-frequency weak electromagnetic field on biological objects. It was shown that, at the cellular and subcellular levels, an increase in the intensity of the electric component of external electromagnetic field can occur. The magnitude of this increase is determined by the ratio of the contributions of the medium polarization and the depolarizing factor (which depends on body shape) to the total effect. As a result of this increase, a potential comparable with intrinsic biological values can be generated on neuron membranes, which must elicit nervous and physiological responses of the organism.     

Effect of a low-frequencey magnetic field on esterase activity and change in pH in wheat germ during swelling of wehat seeds

The role of nonsteady phenomena determined by a low velocity of ion movements in a weak external field is considered in relation to their possible nonlinear effects on processes occurring in boundary layers near the membrane, particularly, on the release of membrane-bound proteins and pH value. It is shown that a short-term treatment of wheat seeds with low-frequency magnetic field at the stage of esterase activation during seed swelling enhances the activation of esterases; the effect observed at final stages of activation depends on the time after the treatment with electromagnetic field. Treatment of seeds with electromagnetic field at this stage changed qualitatively the time course of the release of reaction products into the medium: the reaction rate increased initially and then decreased below the control level. At earlier stages of swelling in treated seeds and at all stages in control seeds, the time course of the product release was linear. The retardation of the release of the reaction products at terminal stages of esterase activation is presumably related to the release of proteins and their complexes under the action of electromagnetic field and the resulting restoration of the barrier properties of membranes. Treatment with electromagnetic field also caused a noticeable acceleration of proton flow form the medium, which was judged from pH changes in the bulk medium and in the vicinity of germ surface. The difference between the treated and control samples after 23-24 h of imbibition became statistically significant and was as high as 0.4 pH units. By taking into account the nonsteady phenomena occurring upon action of low-frequency electromagnetic field, it is possible to explain unusual dependences of biological effects on the amplitude of the electromagnetic field, including the atypical enhancement of these effects by the action of weak low-frequency fields.     

Computational radiofrequency electromagnetic field dosimetry in evaluation of biological effects

Given growing computational resources, radiofrequency electromagnetic field dosimetry is becoming more vital in the study of biological effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation. The study analyzes numerical methods which are used in theoretical dosimetry to assess the exposure level and specific absorption rate distribution. The advances of theoretical dosimetry are shown. Advantages and disadvantages of different methods are analyzed in respect to electromagnetic field biological effects. The finite-difference time-domain method was implemented in detail; also evaluated were possible uncertainties of complex biological structure simulation for bioelectromagnetic investigations.     

Prediction of electromagnetic field distributions inside biological bodies by using an inverse scattering procedure based on a statistical cooling algorithm

This paper presents an inverse scattering procedure based on a statistical cooling algorithm to predict the electromagnetic field inside a biological body. By knowing only the scattered electric field distribution in a set of observation points external to the biological model, this method seems to be able to predict the electromagnetic field distributions in the investigation domain, minimizing a suitable cost function. To this end, a numerical statistical procedure is used, which allows to treat functions with a large number of unknowns in an efficient manner and to exploit the so called a priori knowledge in the reconstruction process. Some preliminary results are reported, concerning simplified biological geometries, which clearly show the capabilities and effectiveness, and also the current limitations of the proposed approach. Finally, further advances for the proposed imaging technique are indicated and discussed.     

Biological effects of exposure to magnetic resonance imaging: an overview

The literature on biological effects of magnetic and electromagnetic fields commonly utilized in magnetic resonance imaging systems is surveyed here. After an introduction on the basic principles of magnetic resonance imaging and the electric and magnetic properties of biological tissues, the basic phenomena to understand the bio-effects are described in classical terms. Values of field strengths and frequencies commonly utilized in these diagnostic systems are reported in order to allow the integration of the specific literature on the bio-effects produced by magnetic resonance systems with the vast literature concerning the bio-effects produced by electromagnetic fields. This work gives an overview of the findings about the safety concerns of exposure to static magnetic fields, radio-frequency fields, and time varying magnetic field gradients, focusing primarily on the physics of the interactions between these electromagnetic fields and biological matter. The scientific literature is summarized, integrated, and critically analyzed with the help of authoritative reviews by recognized experts, international safety guidelines are also cited.     

Influence of electromagnetic radiation on molecular solitons

The soliton model of charge and energy transport in biological macromolecules is used to suggest one of the possible mechanisms for electromagnetic radiation influence on biological systems. The influence of the electromagnetic field (EMF) on molecular solitons is studied both analytically and numerically. Numerical simulations prove the stability of solitons for fields of large amplitude, and allow the study of emission of phonons. It is shown that in the spectra of biological effects of radiation there are two characteristic frequencies of EMFs, one of which is connected with the most intensive energy absorption and emission of sound waves by the soliton, and the other of which is connected with the soliton photodissociation into a delocalized state.     

细胞离子在振荡电磁场作用下的受力模型分析

本文通过生物细胞模型,研究振荡电场、振荡磁场以及振荡磁场产生的感应电场对细胞离子的作用机理。模型分析结果表明,电场力和罗仑兹力对细胞膜两侧的自由离子将产生加速度,振荡离子将产生周期性电位移。该模型同时也解释了脉冲电磁场比同参教的连续场产生更多的生物效应,以及连续场在开始施加和切除时的效应最大。     

磁生物学在模式动物斑马鱼中的研究进展

磁场在生活中无处不在,为探究磁场的生物学效应,大量研究工作已经开展。斑马鱼作为新兴的模式生物,在探明磁场与生理功能关系方面具有重要作用。本文梳理了当前磁生物学在斑马鱼上的相关研究。已有研究表明磁场会导致斑马鱼生长畸形、发育延迟和细胞凋亡,影响斑马鱼的游泳行为和方向偏好,也会改变其昼夜节律,还会对生殖和免疫功能产生影响;斑马鱼可能具有不止一种的磁感应机制,除了目前已提出的磁矿石晶体模型、自由基对模型和电磁感应模型等磁感应模型外,磁场引起的DNA损伤、Ca²⁺稳态异常、微管聚合速率改变、应激反应、生物钟基因cry的表达改变等可部分解释上述现象。针对存在的生物磁感应研究中存在的参数不一和机制不清晰等问题,结合斑马鱼优势,本文提出未来斑马鱼在磁生物学研究中的潜在方向：基于斑马鱼建立磁场和生物参数可控的磁生物学研究模型;非侵入性活体追踪相关生命活动过程,可视化研究磁生物学现象;基于Cry蛋白开展磁场与生物节律关系的研究。     

磁场对螺旋藻营养成分的影响及机理分析

对磁场作用下钝顶螺旋藻中蛋白质、氨基酸以及矿物质含量的变化进行研究,同时从水溶液性质改变和离子结合的角度对电磁场效应的机理进行了分析,研究发现：B＝0．25T的电磁场处理虽然对蛋白质和氨基酸总含量影响不大,却使必需氨基酸总含量明显提高;此外还可显著增加螺旋藻中矿物质,尤其是微量元素的含量。电磁场的生物效应可能来源于磁化水性质和离子吸收过程的改变,磁处理培养是进一步提高螺旋藻营养价值的一种较有效手段。     

电磁场曝露对生物组织电磁特性的影响

电磁辐射严重影响着人体的健康.电磁场生物效应的发生机制与电磁场本身的特性相关,同时也与生物组织在电磁场作用下电磁特性的改变密切相关.生物体内的信号分子、自由基以及磁颗粒等处于外加电磁场中时其电磁特性会发生变化,尤其是不同频率电磁场曝露作用下生物组织的导电、介电以及磁学等特性会有非常显著的区别.明确不同频率电磁场作用下生物组织电磁特性的变化规律是研究电磁场生物效应发生机制以及预防问题的关键.综述了近年来电磁场对于生物组织电磁特性影响的研究成果,并对未来的研究方向做了展望.     

Bio-soliton model that predicts non-thermal electromagnetic frequency bands,that either stabilize or destabilize living cells

Solitons, as self-reinforcing solitary waves, interact with complex biological phenomena such as cellular self-organization. A soliton model is able to describe a spectrum of electromagnetism modalities that can be applied to understand the physical principles of biological effects in living cells, as caused by endogenous and exogenous electromagnetic fields and is compatible with quantum coherence. A bio-soliton model is proposed, that enables to predict which eigen-frequencies of non-thermal electromagnetic waves are life-sustaining and which are, in contrast, detrimental for living cells. The particular effects are exerted by a range of electromagnetic wave eigen-frequencies of one-tenth of a Hertz till Peta Hertz that show a pattern of 12 bands, and can be positioned on an acoustic reference frequency scale. The model was substantiated by a meta-analysis of 240 published articles of biological electromagnetic experiments, in which a spectrum of non-thermal electromagnetic waves were exposed to living cells and intact organisms. These data support the concept of coherent quantized electromagnetic states in living organisms and the theories of Fröhlich, Davydov and Pang. It is envisioned that a rational control of shape by soliton-waves and related to a morphogenetic field and parametric resonance provides positional information and cues to regulate organism-wide systems properties like anatomy, control of reproduction and repair.     

Hypnogenic action of a modulated electromagnetic field

Behavioristic and electroencephalographic changes in rats under long-lasting modulated electromagnetic field (frequency of 40 MHz, modulation frequency 50 Hz, intensity 100--120 V/m) were studied. Some phasic disorders in the conditioned feeding and defense reactions were observed, including cataleptic state as a result of the action of modulated electromagnetic field. These behavioristic disorders are determined by the changes in the normal cortico-subcortical relationships.     

Retardation of embryogenesis by extremely low frequency 60 Hz electromagnetic fields

Fertilized Medaka fish eggs were used to determine if electromagnetic fields, designed to simulate those beneath a high voltage power line, have biological effects on vertebrate embryo development. The newly fertilized eggs were exposed to a 60 Hz electrical field of 300 mA/m2 current density, a 60 Hz magnetic field of 1.0 gauss RMS, or to the combined electric plus magnetic fields for 48 hours. No gross abnormalities were observed in any of the embryos as they developed, but significant development delays were seen in those embryos exposed to either the magnetic or to the combined electromagnetic fields; delays were not seen in the embryos exposed to the electrical field. Thus, a 60 Hz magnetic field like that encountered in a man made powerline environment was shown to retard development of fish embryos.     

Characterisation of weak magnetic field effects in an aqueous glutamic acid solution by nonlinear dielectric spectroscopy and voltammetry

BACKGROUND: Previous reports indicate altered metabolism and enzyme kinetics for various organisms, as well as changes of neuronal functions and behaviour of higher animals, when they were exposed to specific combinations of weak static and alternating low frequency electromagnetic fields. Field strengths and frequencies, as well as properties of involved ions were related by a linear equation, known as the formula of ion cyclotron resonance (ICR, abbreviation mentioned first by Liboff). Under certain conditions already a aqueous solution of the amino acid and neurotransmitter glutamate shows this effect. METHODS: An aqueous solution of glutamate was exposed to a combination of a static magnetic field of 40 muT and a sinusoidal electromagnetic magnetic field (EMF) with variable frequency (2-7 Hz) and an amplitude of 50 nT. The electric conductivity and dielectric properties of the solution were investigated by voltammetric techniques in combination with non linear dielectric spectroscopy (NLDS), which allow the examination of the dielectric properties of macromolecules and molecular aggregates in water. The experiments target to elucidate the biological relevance of the observed EMF effect on molecular level. RESULTS: An ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) effect of glutamate previously reported by the Fesenko laboratory 1998 could be confirmed. Frequency resolution of the sample currents was possible by NLDS techniques. The spectrum peaks when the conditions for ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) of glutamate are matched. Furthermore, the NLDS spectra are different under ICR- and non-ICR conditions: NLDS measurements with rising control voltages from 100-1100 mV show different courses of the intensities of the low order harmonics, which could possibly indicate "intensity windows". Furthermore, the observed magnetic field effects are pH dependent with a narrow optimum around pH 2.85. CONCLUSIONS: Data will be discussed in the context with recent published models for the interaction of weak EMF with biological matter including ICR. A medical and health relevant aspect of such sensitive effects might be given insofar, because electromagnetic conditions for it occur at many occasions in our electromagnetic all day environment, concerning ion involvement of different biochemical pathways.     

Instrumental radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation dosimetry: general principals and modern methodology

The modern experimental radiofrequency electromagnetic field dosimetry approach has been considered. The main principles of specific absorbed rate measurement are analyzed for electromagnetic field biological effect assessment. The general methodology of specific absorbed rate automated dosimetry system applied to establish the compliance of radiation sources with the safety standard requirements (maximum permissible levels and base restrictions) is described.