Effect Of Terahertz Radiation Research Articles

Effect of terahertz radiation on drug activity in bacterial cells

Terahertz (THz) waves have been reported to change membrane permeability and induce conformational changes in protein molecules. Drugs action on cells involves membrane permeability, and we therefore investigated the effect of THz waves on the activity of the cytotoxic drug bleomycin on Escherichia coli. 0.46 THz radiation with an average power of 2.5 W/cm2 was noncytotoxic to E. coli cells. However, 0.46 THz radiation enhanced the cytotoxic activity of bleomycin in E. coli cells, and the drug-enhancing effect depended on the power density of the THz waves. Then, the activity of the drug remaining in the culture medium after THz radiation did not differ from that remaining after non-radiation. This indicates that THz radiation does not affect the bacterial cell-membrane permeability to bleomycin. Thus, these results suggest that 0.46 THz radiation enhances the cytotoxicity of bleomycin to E. coli cells and may influence the mechanism of bleomycin action within cells rather than affecting drug uptake.

Effect of terahertz radiation on the transport properties of albumin: binding with metal ions

The effect of terahertz radiation on clusterization of bovine serum albumin (BSA) molecules and on BSA binding with nickel, cobalt and cadmium ions is investigated by means of high performance liquid chromatography and EPR spectroscopy under variation of the concentration of molecular oxygen in solution. Irradiation is detected to remove steric hindrance for oxygen adsorption. The degree of nickel and cobalt ion binding with irradiated BSA samples is substantially higher than with non-irradiated ones, while for cadmium the binding degree is the same and rather low in both cases. The functional groups in BSA molecule participating in metal ion binding are revealed by means of modeling.

A Comparative Study on the Viability of Normal and Cancerous Cells upon Irradiation with a Steady Beam of THz Rays

Terahertz (THz) electromagnetic radiation is commonly used in astronomy, security screening, imaging, and biomedicine, among other applications. Such approach has raised the question of the influence of THz irradiation on biological objects, especially the human body. However, the results obtained to date are quite controversial. Therefore, we performed a comparative study on the viability of normal cells and cancer cells upon irradiation with a steady beam of THz rays. We used human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and cancer cell lines. Primary human mononuclear blood cells (monocytes, and B-, and T-cells) showed an increased death rate, determined by cell counting and fluorescence microscopy, upon 0.14 THz irradiation. The effect of THz radiation was different among malignant cells of B- and T-cell origin (Ramos and Jurkat cells) and epithelial cancer cells (MCF7 and LNCaP). This was demonstrated by cell counting and by the alamarBlue assay. In conclusion, THz radiation can result in the death of human primary and malignant cells. However, the mechanism of this phenomenon is largely unknown. Hence, more work should be done to shed some light on the mechanism of action of THz irradiation in living organisms to enhance technologic developments.

Theoretical investigation on the effect of terahertz wave on Ca2+ transport in the calcium channel

SummaryThe question of whether terahertz (THz) waves can interact with ions in channels of nerve cells and cause a further reaction has attracted much attention. To answer this question, we investigate the spontaneous radiation generated by Ca2+ moving in calcium channels and the effect of THz radiation on the transport of Ca2+ by solving the mathematical physical model through Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations. It is obtained that the moving Ca2+ in a calcium channel can generate electromagnetic radiation, the corresponding spectrum of which is concentrated in the THz range. Meanwhile, both the ion number in the channel and the background temperature are proved to have significant effects on the spontaneous emission spectra. The studies also show that external THz radiation can accelerate Ca2+ transport through the ion channel. These results are expected to provide a theoretical basis for the future treatment of THz waves in the neurological field.

Effect of terahertz radiation on intermolecular interactions of albumin under aerobic and anaerobic conditions

The effect of THz radiation on coupling between albumin molecules under aerobic and anaerobic conditions is assessed through an EPR-quantified procedure. Rearrangements induced by terahertz radiation are found to affect the hydrogen bonding network causing an increase in the rate of bimolecular interactions. Molecular mechanism of the observed effect is considered involving the interactions between the functional groups of albumin molecules. Irradiation causes conformational changes in albumin molecules, which involves changes in the steric states of molecules. These rearrangements hinder or simplify the adsorption of specific agents on the reactive sites of albumin molecules.

A Study on Molecular Mechanisms of Terahertz Radiation Interaction with Biopolymers Based on the Example of Bovine Serum Albumin

The effect of terahertz radiation on the functional activity of bovine serum albumin was studied by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy using spin trapping and spin probing techniques. The use of a pH sensitive imidazoline spin trap allowed us to record the change in the binding strength of albumin with nitric oxide. The change in the intensity and width of bands in the EPR spectrum of the spin probe under terahertz irradiation was shown using a spin probe formed directly in the aqueous solution of albumin from a precursor, dihydropyrazine dioxide, which indicates a change in the number and mobility of paramagnetic centers. The observed changes were correlated with the structural characteristics of the reaction centers of bovine serum albumin, the functional groups of the amino acids of the protein.

THz photodetector using sideband-modulated transport through surface states of a 3D topological insulator

The transport properties of the surface charge carriers of a three dimensional topological insulator under a terahertz (THz) field along with a resonant double barrier structure is theoretically analyzed within the framework of Floquet theory to explore the possibility of using such a device for photodetection purposes. We show that due to the contribution of elastic and inelastic scattering processes in the resulting transmission, side-bands are formed in the conductance spectrum. This side band formation is similar to the side-bands formation in cavity transmission spectra in an optical cavity and this information can be used to detect the frequency of unknown THz radiation. The dependence of the conductance on the bias voltage, the effect of THz radiation on resonances and the influence of zero energy points on the transmission spectrum are also discussed.

A Study of the Effect of Terahertz Electromagnetic Radiation on Microbial Cell Viability

Abstract—The effect of pulsed terahertz radiation at a wavelength of 66 μm, a pulse duration of 100 ns, and a pulse energy of 200 mJ on a suspension of microbial cells was studied. The effect of terahertz radiation was shown to cause cell death at a value of total energy of ~6 J. Since the temperature of the cell suspension after radiation remained almost unchanged, it implies that pulsed terahertz radiation exhibited a non-thermal effect. Methods of standard microbial plating, electron microscopy, electroacoustic analysis, and spectral analysis were used in order to verify the results. These experiments make it possible to control the viability of bacterial cells using terahertz radiation with certain parameters.

Effect of terahertz pulse on gene expression in human eye cells**Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61675151 and 81570872), the Tianjin Municipal Science and Technology Commission Grants, China (Grant No. 15JCYBJC24900), and the Clinical Research Foundation of Tianjin Medical University Eye Institute, China (Grant No. 16YKJS002).

In recent years, the advances in terahertz applications have stimulated interest in the biological effects associated with this frequency range. We study the gene expression profile in three types of cells exposed to terahertz radiation, i.e., human ARPE-19 retinal pigment epithelial cells, simian virus 40-transformed human corneal epithelial cells, and human MIO-M1 Müller cells. We find that the gene expression in response to heat shock is unaffected, indicating that the minimum temperature increases under controlled environment. The transcriptome sequencing survey demonstrates that 6-hour irradiation with a broadband terahertz source results in specific change in gene expression and also the biological functions that are closely related to these genes. Our results imply that the effect of terahertz radiation on gene expression can last over 15 hours and depends on the type of cell.

The development of F1 progeny from mature egg cells after terahertz radiation of parental drosophila

The effects of terahertz radiation (0.1–2.2 THz) on the dynamics of reaching the imago stage by drosophila of the F1 progeny obtained from the crossing of irradiated and unirradiated parental individuals in different combinations were studied. A shift in the maximum emergence peak for an earlier period and a shortening of the period of reaching the adult state were found in the progeny of both sexes obtained from irradiated females. The development up to the imago stage significantly differs in the progeny of irradiated males and irradiated females in a number of parameters. It was suggested that the effect of terahertz radiation on the dynamics of the onset of the imago stage can be associated with one or different mechanisms that change the expression of the genes and signaling pathways that control the development of drosophila.

Terahertz radiation improves adaptation characteristics in Drosophila melanogaster

An investigation into the effect of nonionizing terahertz radiation (0.1–10 THz) on living organisms is urgent due to the recent development of modern technologies employing such radiation. The aim of this study was to establish the impact of terahertz radiation on successive generations of fruit flies. The effects of terahertz radiation on the survival ability and lifespan of the Oregon-R strain of Drosophila melanogaster proved to be diverse: they were negative or neutral at early life stages and positive at late stages. The female flies exposed to the radiation showed increased survival rate during the second half of the life of imago. The males demonstrated low sensitivity to the radiation. There were no significant differences noted in the dynamics of maturation and total number of offspring between the female flies that were exposed to the radiation and those that were not. The results of the study practically did not depend on the sex and maturity stage of the oocytes irradiated.

Peculiarities of the Effect of Terahertz Radiation at Nitric Oxide Frequencies on Gaseous and Electrolyte Composition of the Blood in Different Types of Stress

We studied the effect of terahertz radiation at NO frequencies 150.176-150.664 GHz on gaseous and electrolyte composition of the blood in albino rats during stress. Partial or complete recovery of the studied parameters of blood gases and electrolytes in stressed animals was observed after 15- and 30-min terahertz irradiation at NO frequencies, respectively.