The influence of low-frequency pulsed electric and magnetic signals or their combination on the normal and modified fibroblasts (an experimental study)

Abstract

The results of clinical studies give evidence of the beneficial preventive and therapeutic effects of the «Tiline-EM» physiotherapeutic device designed for the combined specific treatment of the skin regions onto which both discomfort and pain sensations are directly projected, reflectively active sites and zones, as well as trigger zones with the use of low-frequency pulsed electric current and magnetic field. The efficient application of the device requires the understanding of the general mechanisms underlying such action on the living systems including those operating at the cellular and subcellular levels. The objective of the present study was the investigation of the specific and complex effects produced by the low-frequency pulses of electric current and magnetic field generated in the physiotherapeutic device «Tiline-EM» on the viability, proliferative activity, and morphofunctional characteristics of normal skin fibroblasts and the transformed fibroblast line K-22. It has been demonstrated that the biological effects of the electric and magnetic signals vary depending on the type of the cell culture and the mode of impact. The transformed fibroblasts proved to be more sensitive to the specific and complex effects of electric and magnetic pulses than the normal skin fibroblasts. The combined action of the electric and magnetic signals was shown to have the greatest influence on both varieties of fibroblasts. It manifests itself in the form of enhanced viability, elevated proliferative and synthetic activity in the cultures of transformed fibroblasts and as the acceleration of cell differentiation in the cultures of normal fibroblasts. The effect of stimulation of dermal fibroblast differentiation in response to the combined treatment by the electric and magnetic signals is of interest from the standpoint of the physiotherapeutic use of the «Tiline-EM» device for the purpose of obtaining fibroblasts cultures to be employed in regenerative therapy and the treatment of skin injuries in cosmetology, aesthetic and regenerative medicine.