Resveratrol may reverse the effects of long-term occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields on workers of a power plant.

Dan Zhang,Chengxun Sun,He Zhang,Yang Zhang,Baoyu Zhu,Ye Sun

doi:10.18632/oncotarget.17668

Abstract

High-voltage electricity lines are known to generate extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs). With the process of urbanization, increasing concerns has been focused on the potentially hazardous impacts of ELF-EMF on human health, and the conclusions are controversial. Little is known about the method of prevention against ELF-EMF induced healthy problems. A total of 186 male workers with occupational exposure to high-voltage electricity lines, and 154 male subjects with insignificant exposure as reference control were enrolled in this study. Resveratrol or placebo was given as dietary supplements (500 mg twice daily), and several inflammatory biomarkers and biomarkers of oxidative stress were assessed. Workers who had long-term exposure to high-voltage electricity lines exhibited elevated urinary levels of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxy-guanosine (8-OHdG) and F2-isoprostane, compared to the reference group. Lower plasma nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and interleukin (IL)-6 were observed in exposed workers compared to the reference group. Resveratrol significantly reversed the adverse impacts of ELF-EMF. Stimulated cytokine production by resveratrol was found in exposed workers but not in the reference group. This study supported that occupational and long-term exposure to high-voltage electricity lines has an adverse effect on homeostasis of human body, and resveratrol supplement could be an effective protection strategy against the adverse effects induced by ELF-EMFs.

Highlights

High-voltage electricity lines are known to generate extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs)
This study supported that occupational and long-term exposure to high-voltage electricity lines has an adverse effect on homeostasis of human body, and resveratrol supplement could be an effective protection strategy against the adverse effects induced by ELF-EMFs
The current study found that long-term occupational exposure to high-voltage electricity lines has an adverse effect on oxidative stress and immune response among workers

Summary

Introduction

High-voltage electricity lines are known to generate extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs). Since 1970, a number of researches have investigated the potentially hazardous impacts of ELF-EMFs on human body but the conclusions remain controversial [1]. With the increasing process of urbanization, electric power plants are extensively established, which raised concerns from the public on the potentially hazardous effects of ELF-EMFs on workers and nearby residents. A study on human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells indicated that ELF-EMF may induce cell apoptosis through impairing redox homeostasis and activating the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) [3]. Evidence showed that long-term exposure to ELF-EMFs elevated the incidence of chronic myeloid leukemia in female mice [5]. A recent study using human cancer cell lines demonstrated that long-term exposure of ELF-EMF could repress cancer cell growth while increase mitochondrial activities [6]. The inverse consequences of ELF-EMFs may be dependent on its amplitude, as suggested in a previous investigation which demonstrated that ELF-EMF could repress angiogenesis when used in a specific window of amplitude [8]

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