Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) does not affect the expression of α3, α5 and α7 nicotinic receptor subunit genes in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line

Abstract

Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are involved in a number of functional processes, including cognition, learning and memory, and alterations in their expression and/or activity have been implicated in various neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia. Epidemiological studies have shown that exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) may contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Given the role of nAChRs in physiological and pathological conditions, we wondered whether an extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) may affect the expression of the molecules involved in neurodegenerative processes. In order to investigate this possibility, we studied the expression of α3, α5 and α7 nicotinic subunits upon exposure of the SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cell line to a 50 Hz power-line magnetic field in a “blind trial” system; various magnetic flux densities and exposure times were applied. Our studies show that the expression of some relevant components of the cholinergic nicotinic system, which is one of the most affected neurotransmission systems in AD, did not undergo any change at molecular level by environmental exposure to ELF-EMF.