Alterations in the structure of the electrical double layer adjacent to a charged membrane arising from electromagnetically induced changes in the activity of membrane bound enzymes
(1) Science Applications International Corporation, 1710 Goodridge Drive, 22102 McLean, Virginia
Abstract:
Electromagnetic fields of very low amplitude have been reported to influence a number of cellular functions. Many of these
effects have a high degree of frequency specificity. Herein it is suggested that some of these reported results could be explained
by a fieldinduced alteration in the enzymic activity of integral membrane proteins. It is shown that such a field-induced
transition from an initial nonequilibrium steady-state to a final nonequilibrium steady-state can lead to an alteration in
the concentration profiles of those charged species in the cell's ambient electrolyte that comprise the so-called electrical
double layer. Examples of variations in the concentration profiles of those ions that react with a membrane-bound enzyme,
as well as nonreacting ionic species, are given. The modulation of such effects by systematic variations in extracellular
pH and ionic strength is discussed.