Public concern has been raised about possible adverse effects of powerline (60-Hertz) electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on the nervous system. Our research will address this question by identifying and examining the mechanisms by which EMFs effect neural cells at the cellular, subcellular and molecular levels and thus alter key cellular functions. Isolated adrenal chromaffin cells will be used as an in vitro model of sympathetic nervous system function for these studies. In preliminary experiments, exposing chromaffin to magnetic flux densities in the 0.8 - 1.4 millitesla (mT) range caused both a rise in intracellular calcium and a stimulation catecholamine release. These EMF-induced effects will be further investigated in the proposed research. Studies will employ fluorescence calcium imaging techniques and 45Ca2+ uptake measurements to elucidate the mechanisms that underlie EMF-induced increases in intracellular calcium. These same two methodologies, in conjunction with assay of catecholamines by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), will be used to establish the long-term effects of EMFs on catecholamine release as well as catecholamine biosynthesis rates will be determined. These studies will employ HPLC and radioisotopic labeling methods to assess intracellular levels of catecholamines and their precursors, in situ and in vitro assays to assess alterations in activity of catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes and molecular biology techniques to study changes in the level of expression of tyrosine hydroxylase, the enzyme that catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the catecholamine biosynthetic pathway. The long-term significance of the proposed research is the important information that will be obtained regarding cellular effects of EMFs on neural cells. Such information will be essential for evaluating potential health risks associated with EMF exposure, as well as aiding our understanding of potential therapeutic strategies employing EMFs.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01ES007563-02
Application #
2713578
Study Section
Radiation Study Section (RAD)
Program Officer
Baughman, Robert W
Project Start
1997-06-15
Project End
2001-05-31
Budget Start
1998-06-01
Budget End
1999-05-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1998
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Nevada Reno
Department
Pharmacology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
146515460
City
Reno
State
NV
Country
United States
Zip Code
89557
Craviso, Gale L (2004) Generation of functionally competent single bovine adrenal chromaffin cells from cell aggregates using the neutral protease dispase. J Neurosci Methods 137:275-81
Craviso, Gale L; Chatterjee, Indira; Publicover, Nelson G (2003) Catecholamine release from cultured bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin cells in the presence of 60-Hz magnetic fields. Bioelectrochemistry 59:57-64
Hassan, Noha; Chatterjee, Indira; Publicover, Nelson G et al. (2003) Numerical study of induced current perturbations in the vicinity of excitable cells exposed to extremely low frequency magnetic fields. Phys Med Biol 48:3277-93
Craviso, Gale L; Poss, James; Lanctot, Christine et al. (2002) Intracellular calcium activity in isolated bovine adrenal chromaffin cells in the presence and absence of 60 Hz magnetic fields. Bioelectromagnetics 23:557-67
Chatterjee, I; Hassan, N; Craviso, G L et al. (2001) Numerical computation of distortions in magnetic fields and induced currents in physiological solutions produced by microscope objectives. Bioelectromagnetics 22:463-9
Publicover, N G; Marsh, C G; Vincze, C A et al. (1999) Effects of microscope objectives on magnetic field exposures. Bioelectromagnetics 20:387-95