Abstract
ObjectiveExtremely low-frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) has been reported to be of potential pathogenetic relevance to Alzheimer's disease (AD) for years. However, evidence confirming this function remains inconclusive. Chronic Al treatment has been identified as a contributing factor to cognitive function impairment in AD. This study aims to examine whether or not ELF-MF and Al have synergistic effects toward AD pathogenesis by investigating the effects of ELF-MF with or without chronic Al treatment on SD rats.MethodsSprague-Dawley (SD) rats were subjected one of the following treatments: sham (control group), oral Al (Al group), ELF-MF (100 µT at 50 Hz) with oral Al (MF+Al group), or ELF-MF (100 µT at 50 Hz) without oral Al (MF group).ResultsAfter 12 wk of treatment, oral Al treatment groups (Al and MF+Al groups) showed learning and memory impairment as well as morphological hallmarks, including neuronal cell loss and high density of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. ELF-MF without Al treatment showed no significant effect on AD pathogenesis. ELF-MF+Al treatment induced no more damage than Al treatment did.ConclusionsOur results showed no evidence of any association between ELF-MF exposure (100 µT at 50 Hz) and AD, and ELF-MF exposure does not influence the pathogenesis of AD induced by Al overload.
Highlights
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia among older people
extremely low-frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) without Al treatment showed no significant effect on AD pathogenesis
Our results showed no evidence of any association between ELF-MF exposure (100 mT at 50 Hz) and AD, and ELF-MF exposure does not influence the pathogenesis of AD induced by Al overload
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia among older people. No single factor has yet been identified as its direct cause. Studies investigating the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and environmental factors have focused on extremely low-frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) exposure (associated with power lines, transformer substations, etc.) in recent years [6], [7]. Three other investigations provided mixed evidence: Based on a case-control study, Seidler et al [6] suggested that exposure to ELF-MF was not significantly associated with AD dementia; Qiu et al [12] evaluated lifetime occupational exposures in a community cohort of individuals 75 years older and showed marked effects in males but not in females; and Andel et al showed that moderate ($0.12 to ,0.20 mT) to high ($0.20 mT) levels of MF exposure were associated with AD [13]. As the contradictory and inconclusive epidemiologic results, World Health Organization published Environmental Health Criteria (EHC NO. 238) of extremely low frequency fields in 2007, which suggested there was only inadequate evidence to show that 50/60 Hz fields could cause Alzheimer’s disease, and more investigations were further needed [14]
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