Abstract
This paper simulates Ca <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2+</sup> transmembrane transport through voltage-gated Ca <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2+</sup> channels in response to terahertz electromagnetic irradiation. The active transport of Ca <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2+</sup> ions is taken into considerations in the Ca <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2+</sup> transport. Temperature variations due to terahertz electromagnetic loss in physiological medium are simulated. The electromagnetic interaction between terahertz fields and physiological mobile ions at the cellular level is deduced from relativistic electrodynamics. It shows that effects of 0.1 ~ 3 THz electromagnetic fields on cell mobile ions are primarily due to effects of electric fields, and effects of magnetic fields at the cellular level are insignificant. In addition, numerical simulation reveals that terahertz irradiation causes vibration of membrane potential, which is able to activate voltage-gated Ca <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2+</sup> channels. Besides, bioeffects of terahertz frequency, irradiation duration and electric intensity on the increment of intracellular Ca <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2+</sup> concentration due to activation of voltage-gated Ca <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2+</sup> channels are revealed. Meanwhile, numerical results show that temperature rises are inconsequential in the case of different irradiation parameters, indicating the non-thermal bioeffects of voltage-gated Ca <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2+</sup> transmembrane transport due to terahertz irradiation. Furthermore, the results also reveal that thermal bioeffect can be significant if the irradiation duration is raised long enough for high-dose terahertz irradiation. The numerical simulations lay the basis for understanding the bioeffects of terahertz irradiation on Ca <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2+</sup> transmembrane transport and pave the way for further exploration in modulation of intracellular Ca <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2+</sup> concentration with terahertz electromagnetic wave.
Highlights
As an exploring spectrum located between microwave and infrared region, terahertz (THz) electromagnetic field shows great potential applications in life sciences [1], [2].Apart from terahertz biomedical imaging and terahertz detection for biomolecules and tissues in diseases [3]–[5], bioeffects of terahertz electromagnetic irradiation have caused an intense interest and attention in recent years [6], [7]
The non-thermal increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration in neuroblastoma cells is observed, and the phospholipid bilayer membrane electroporation for ion transport is simulated with molecular dynamics simulations under the radiation of picosecond electric pulse, whose fast rise edge contains signal component in terahertz frequency [17]
DERIVATION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTION BETWEEN THz FIELDS AND PHYSIOLOGICAL IONS Under terahertz irradiation, the fields in the cell region are composed of the fields due to the physiological ions and the fields of the irradiated THz electromagnetic wave
Summary
As an exploring spectrum located between microwave and infrared region, terahertz (THz) electromagnetic field shows great potential applications in life sciences [1], [2]. In 2011, Wilmink et al showed the temperature increments along with those bioeffects were negligible by means of finite-difference time-domain modeling approach [6], [12] Those indicate that THz electromagnetic irradiation is capable of modulating physiological activities and functions in a non-thermal way. The non-thermal increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration in neuroblastoma cells is observed, and the phospholipid bilayer membrane electroporation for ion transport is simulated with molecular dynamics simulations under the radiation of picosecond electric pulse, whose fast rise edge contains signal component in terahertz frequency [17]. In contrast to possible electroporation in response to terahertz irradiation, voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs) embedded in phospholipid bilayer membrane are primary physiological channels responsible for Ca2+ transmembrane transport in excitable cells Those channels link the electric signals and nonelectrical physiological processes, and play crucial roles in physiological processes like the regulation of heart beat etc.
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