Abstract
In order to evaluate the effects of pulsing electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) on cell proliferation and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) synthesis and to study the action site of PEMF stimulation in the cells, we performed a series of experiments on rabbit costal growth cartilage cells and human articular cartilage cells in culture. A PEMF stimulator was made using a Helmholz coil. Repetitive pulse burst electric currents with a burst width of 76 ms, a pulse width of 230 microseconds and 6.4 Hz were passed through this coil. The magnetic field strength reached 0.4 mT (tesla) on the average. The syntheses of DNA and GAG were measured by 3H-thymidine and 35S-sulfuric acid incorporations. The effects on the cells treated with lidocaine, adriamycin and irradiation were also measured using a colony forming assay. The PEMF stimulation for the duration of 5 days promoted both cell proliferation and GAG synthesis in growth cartilage cells and intermittent stimulation on and off alternatively every 12 h increased them most significantly, while, in articular cartilage cells, the stimulation promoted cell proliferation, but did not enhance GAG synthesis. PEMF stimulation promoted cells treated with lidocaine more significantly than with other agents. These results present evidence that intermittent PEMF stimulation is more effective on both cell proliferation and GAG synthesis of cartilage cells than continuous stimulation, and that the stimulation could exert effects not by nucleus directly, but by the cellular membrane-dependent mechanism. This study provides further basic data to encourage the clinical application of PEMF stimulation on bone and cartilage disorders.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.