Ultrawideband electromagnetic pulses with high amplitude and short duration are reported to affect several aspects of cell physiology. They are usually delivered to the living material through electrodes in small dedicated chambers. Here we showed, using a totally different experimental setup, that radiated EM pulses illuminating the living material through a specialized antenna (without any direct contact) are able to trigger a rapid release of ATP in cultured murine cells that was concomitant with a drop of intracellular AEC. Despite this rapid and strong response, we found that cell viability and clonogenicity were only slightly affected by the EMF exposure.
Giri, D.V. and Tesche, F.M. (2004) Classification of Intentional Electromagnetic Environments (IEME). IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility, 46, 322-328. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TEMC.2004.831819
Markov, M.S. (2007) Expanding Use of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapie. Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine, 26, 257-274. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15368370701580806
Nuccitelli, R., Pliquett, U., Chen, X., Ford, W., Swanson, R.J., Beebe, S.J., Kolb, J.F. and Schoenbach, K.H. (2006) Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields Cause Melanomas to Self-Destruct. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 343, 351-360. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2006.02.181
Breton, M. and Mir, L. (2012) Microsecond and Nanosecond Electric Pulses in Cancer Treatments. Bioelectromagnetics, 33, 106-123. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bem.20692
Camera, F., Paffi, A., Merla, C., Denzi, A., Apollonio, F., Marracino, P., d’Inzeo, G. and Liberti, M. (2012) Effects of Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields on the Activity of a Hodgkin and Huxley Neuron Model. Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), San Diego, 28 August-1 September 2012, 2567-2570. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/EMBC.2012.6346488
Zito, D., Pepe, D., Mincica, M. and Zito, F. (2011) A 90nm CMOS SoC UWB Pulse Radar for Respiratory Rate Monitoring. IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference Digest of Technical Papers (ISSCC), San Francisco, 20-24 February 2011, 40-41.
Deng, J., Schoenbach, K., Buescher, S., Hair, P., Fox, P. and Beebe, S. (2003) The Effects of Intense Submicrosecond Electrical Pulses on Cells. Biophysical Journal, 84, 2709-2714. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3495(03)75076-0
Huang, F., Fang, Z., Mast, J. and Chen, W. (2013) Comparison of Membrane Electroporation and Protein Denature in Response to Pulsed Electric Field with Different Durations. Bioelectromagnetics, 34, 253-263. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bem.21773
Stacey, M., Stickley, J., Fox, P., Statler, V., Schoenbach, K., Beebe, S.J. and Buescher, S. (2003) Differential Effects in Cells Exposed to Ultra-Short, High Intensity Electric Fields: Cell Survival, DNA Damage, and Cell Cycle Analysis. Mutation Research, 542, 65-75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mrgentox.2003.08.006
Beebe, S.J., Fox, P.M., Rec, L.J., Willis, L.K. and Schoenbach, K.H. (2003) Nanosecond, High-Intensity Pulsed Electric Fields Induce Apoptosis in Human Cells. FASEB Journal, 17, 1493-1495.
Vernier, P.T., Sun, Y., Marcu, L., Salemi, S., Craft, C.M. and Gundersen, M.A. (2003) Calcium Bursts Induced by Nanosecond Electric Pulses. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 310, 286-295. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2003.08.140
Sylvester, P.W., Shah, S.J., Haynie, D.T. and Briski, K.P. (2005) Effects of Ultra-Wideband Electromagnetic Pulses on Pre-Neoplastic Mammary Epithelial Cell Proliferation. Cell Proliferation, 38, 153-163. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2184.2005.00340.x
Dorsey, W.C., Ford, B.D., Roane, L., Haynie, D.T. and Tchounwou, P.B. (2005) Induced Mitogenic Activity in AML-12 Mouse Hepatocytes Exposed to Low-Dose Ultra-Wideband Electromagnetic Radiation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2, 24-30. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph2005010024
Chen, N., Schoenbach, K.H., Kolb, J.F., Swanson, R.J., Garner, A.L., Yang, J., Joshi, R.P. and Beebe, S.J. (2004) Leukemic Cell Intracellular Responses to Nanosecond Electric Fields. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 317, 421-427. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.03.063
Xiao, D., Yao, C., Liu, H., Li, C., Cheng, J., Guo, F. and Tang, L. (2013) Irreversible Electroporation and Apoptosis in Human Liver Cancer Cells Induced by Nanosecond Electric Pulses. Bioelectromagnetics, 34, 512-520.
Kolb, J.F., Kono, S. and Schoenbach, K.H. (2006) Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field Generators for the Study of Subcellular Effects. Bioelectromagnetics, 27, 172-187. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bem.20185
Rols, M.P., Delteil, C., Golzio, M. and Teissié, J. (1998) Control by ATP and ADP of Voltage-Induced Mammalian-Cell-Membrane Permeabilization, Gene Transfer and Resulting Expression. European Journal of Biochemistry, 254, 382-388. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1432-1327.1998.2540382.x
Joshi, R.P. and Schoenbach, K.H. (2000) Electroporation Dynamics in Biological Cells Subjected to Ultrafast Electrical Pulses: A Numerical Simulation Study. Physical Review E, 62, 1025-1033. http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.62.1025
Vasilkoski, Z., Esser, A.T., Gowrishankar, T.R. and Weaver, J.C. (2006) Membrane Electroporation: The Absolute Rate Equation and Nanosecond Time Scale Pore Creation. Physical Review E, 74, Article ID: 021904. http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.74.021904
Weaver, J.C. and Chizmadzhev, Y.A. (1996) Theory of Electroporation: A Review. Bioelectrochemistry and Bioenergetics, 41, 135-160. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0302-4598(96)05062-3
Pakhomov, A.G., Kolb, J.F., White, J.A., Joshi, R.P., Xiao, S. and Schoenbach, K.H. (2007) Long-Lasting Plasma Membrane Permeabilization in Mammalian Cells by Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field (nsPEF). Bioelectromagnetics, 28, 655-663. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bem.20354
Pakhomov, A.G., Shevin, R., White, J.A., Kolb, J.F., Pakhomova, O.N., Joshi, R.P. and Schoenbach, K.H. (2007) Membrane Permeabilization and Cell Damage by Ultrashort Electric Field Shocks. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 465, 109-118. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.abb.2007.05.003
Pavlin, M., Kotnik, T., Miklavc, D., Kramar, P. and Lebar, A.M. (2008) Electroporation of Planar Lipid Bilayers and Membranes. In: Liu, L., Ed., Advances in Planar Lipid Bilayers and Liposomes, Vol. 6, Chapter 7, Elsevier B.V Academic Press, London, 165-226.
Rols, M.P. and Teissié, J. (1990) Electropermeabilization of Mammalian Cells. Quantitative Analysis of the Phenomenon. Biophysical Journal, 58, 1089-1098. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3495(90)82451-6
Nowak, I. (2003) ATP as a Signaling Molecule: The Exocrine Focus. Physiology, 18, 12-17.
Sauer, H., Stanelle, R., Hescheler, J. and Wartenberg, M. (2002) The DC Electrical-Field-Induced Ca2+ Response and Growth Stimulation of Multicellular Tumor Spheroids Are Mediated by ATP Release and Purinergic Receptor Stimulation. Journal of Cell Science, 115, 3265-3273.
André, F.M., Rassokhin, M.A., Bowman, A.M. and Pakhomov, A.G. (2010) Gadolinium Blocks Membrane Permeabilization Induced by Nanosecond Electric Pulses and Reduces Cell Death. Bioelectrochemistry, 79, 95-100. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bioelechem.2009.12.007
Koshelev, V.I., Buyanov, Y.I., Andreev, Y.A., Plisko, V.V. and Sukhushin, K.N. (2001) Ultrawideband Radiators of High-Power Pulses. Proceedings of the IEEE Pulsed Power Plasma Science Conference, 2, 1661-1667.
Cadilhon, B., Cassany, B., Modin, P., Diot, J.C., Bertrand, V. and Pécastaing, L. (2011) Ultra Wideband Antennas for High Pulsed Power Applications. In: Matin, M., Ed., Ultra Wideband Communications: Novel Trends—Antennas and Propagation, InTech, Rijeka, Croatia, 277-306.
Roux, D., Vian, A., Girard, S., Bonnet, P., Paladian, F., Davies, E. and Ledoigt, G. (2008) High Frequency (900 MHz) Low Amplitude (5 Vm -1 ) Electromagnetic Field: A Genuine Environmental Stimulus that Affects Transcription, Translation, Calcium and Energy Charge in Tomato. Planta, 227, 883-891. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00425-007-0664-2
Godard, A., Desrumaux, L., Bertrand, V., Andrieu, J., Lalande, M., Jecko, B., Brishoual, M., Couderc, V. and Guillerey, R. (2010) A Transient UWB Antenna Array Used with Complex Impedance Surfaces. International Journal of Antennas and Propagation, 2010, Article ID: 243145. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2010/243145
Bennett, L.I., Mixon, D.G., Payne, A.B., Bowman, A., Sickendick, K., Wilmink, G.J., Roach, W.P. and Pakhomov, A.G. (2010) Plasma Membrane Permeabilization by Trains of Ultrashort Electric Pulses. Bioelectrochemistry, 79, 114-121. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bioelechem.2010.01.001
Vitiello, L., Gorini, S., Rosano, G. and la Sala, A. (2012) Immunoregulation through Extracellular Nucleotides. Blood, 120, 511-518. http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood-2012-01-406496
Tanaka, K., Gilroy, S., Jones, A.M. and Stacey, G. (2010) Extracellular ATP Signaling in Plants. Trends Cell Biol., 20, 601-608.
Irmak, K.M., Oztas, E., Yagmurca, M., Fadillioglu, E. and Bakir, B. (2003) Effects of Electromagnetic Radiation from a Cellular Telephone on Epidermal Merkel Cells. Journal of Cutaneous Pathology, 30, 135-138. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.0303-6987.2003.00002.x
Jordan, D.W., Gilgenbach, R.M., Uhler, M.D., Gates, L.H. and Lau, Y.Y. (2004) Effect of Pulsed, High-Power Radiofrequency Radiation on Electroporation of Mammalian Cells. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, 32, 1573-1578.
Braunstein, G.M., Roman, R.M., Clancy, J.P., Kudlow, B.A., Taylor, A.L., Shylonsky, V.G., Jovov, B., Peter, K., Jilling, T., Ismailov, I.I., Benos, D.J., Schwiebert, L.M., Fitz, J.G. and Schwiebert, E.M. (2001) Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Facilitates ATP Release by Stimulating a Separate ATP Release Channel for Autocrine Control of Cell Volume Regulation. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 276, 6621-6630. http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M005893200
Bao, L., Locovei, S. and Dahl, G. (2004) Pannexin Membrane Channels Are Mechanosensitive Conduits for ATP. FEBS Letters, 572, 65-68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.febslet.2004.07.009
Boudreault, F. and Grygorczyk, R. (2002) Cell Swelling-Induced ATP Release and Gadolinium-Sensitive Channels. American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology, 282, 219-226. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpcell.00317.2001
Roux, D., Faure, C., Bonnet, P., Girard, S., Ledoigt, G., Davies, E., Gendraud, M., Paladian, F. and Vian, A. (2008) A Possible Role for Extra-Cellular ATP in Plant Responses to High Frequency, Low Amplitude Electromagnetic Field. Plant Signaling & Behavior, 3, 383-385. http://dx.doi.org/10.4161/psb.3.6.5385
Janssens, R. and Boeynaems, J.M. (2001) Effect of Extracellular Nucleotides and Nucleoside on Prostate Carcinoma Cells. British Journal of Pharmacology, 132, 536-546. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/sj.bjp.0703833
Fang, W.G., Pirnia, F., Bang, Y.J., Myers, C.E. and Trepel, J.B. (1992) P2-Purinergic Receptor Agonists Inhibit the Growth of Androgen-Independent Prostate Carcinoma Cells. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 89, 191-196. http://dx.doi.org/10.1172/JCI115562