Influence Of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Research Articles

Influence of pulsed electromagnetic field on the course of intervertebral hernia of the cervical spine

BACKGROUND: A herniated disc of the cervical spine is a common cause of neck pain that results from leakage of the nucleus pulposus from the annulus fibrosus and creating pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots.
 AIM: to study the effect of therapy with a pulsed electromagnetic field on pain, disability, psychological state and quality of life in intervertebral hernia of the cervical spine.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were randomly divided into two groups, including group 1, who received therapy consisting of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, thermal procedures, and pulsed electromagnetic field, and group 2, who received a false magnetic field in addition to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and thermal procedures. Pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Other outcome measures were pain and disability (Neck Pain and Disability Scale), anxiety-depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and quality of life (Nottingham Health Profile). All evaluations were performed before treatment, at week 3, and at week 12 post-treatment.
 RESULTS: Significant improvements were found in scores for neck pain, disability, depression, anxiety, and quality of life in both groups after treatment compared with scores before treatment. However, when comparing changes within groups, significant improvements were only identified in VAS and Nottingham Health Profile sleep subparameters at week 12 post-treatment compared to pre-treatment.
 CONCLUSION: Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy in intervertebral hernia of the cervical spine can be safely used in conservative treatment as part of combined physiotherapy.

Influence of pulsed electromagnetic field as a pre-sowing treatment on germination, plant growth and yield of broad beans

Magnetic field is a variable abiotic factor, like temperature, air, soil and water that interacts with the living organisms. The use of different types of magnetic field at many different plant species is increasing and the results are promising. A two-year field experiment was established following a completely randomized design, to investigate the effect of pre-sowing magnetic field treatment for 0, 15, 30 and 45 min on three broad bean varieties. The obtained results showed that the treatment of seeds with pulsed electromagnetic field increased germination percentage, chlorophyll content, leaf area, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and dry weight. In general, the exposure of seeds for 15 min, gave the highest values compared to the control treatments for the three varieties used. A very interesting result is the fact that although there was an influence of the exposure of magnetic field on the dry weight of the plants, there was not a positive or a negative influence on the seed yield for both years. This means that magnetic field enhanced the vegetative development of the broad beans, but it had no effect on the reproductive development. The results indicate that magnetic field can be used in the cases that the productive direction of the cultivation of broad beans is for livestock forage and silage, as the pre-sowing treatment of seeds had a positive effect on plant dry weight.
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 In press - Online First. Article has been peer reviewed, accepted for publication and published online without pagination. The article is to be paginated when the complete issue will be ready for publishing (Volume 48, Issue 3, 2020). The article is searchable and citable by Digital Object Identifier (DOI). DOI link will become active after the article will be included in the complete issue.

Bactericidal activity of gallium-doped chitosan coatings against staphylococcal infection.

The aim of this study was to develop a new class of gallium (Ga)-doped chitosan (CS) coatings fabricated by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) in staphylococcal infection therapy. Biofilm formation on EPD CS/Ga coatings by Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus, which are the main strains involved in postarthroplasty infections, was assessed. The codeposition of an antibacterial agent was effective; Ga loaded into CS matrix reduces biofilm viability by up to 86% and 80% for S.epidermidis and S.aureus strains respectively. Lastly, the influence of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) on the bactericidal activity of CS/Ga coatings was investigated invitro. To this end, the coatings were incubated with S.epidermidis and S.aureus and exposed to the PEMF using two different frequencies and times. Biofilm viability for S.epidermidis was decreased by 35-40% in the presence of low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) PEMF respectively. Biofilm viability by S.aureus was not further reduced in the presence of LF PEMF, but decreased by 38% at HF PEMF. This study has established that a combination of PEMFs with the antibacterial agent improves bactericidal activity of Ga against S.epidermidis strain 14990 and S.aureus strain 12600. This new integrated approach could reduce the incidence of infection in orthopaedic implant applications. It also clearly demonstrates that the combination of Ga treatment with PEMF could aid biofilm-associated infection therapy due to improved Ga efficiency.

Methodical Approach for Immunity Assessment of Electronic Devices Excited by High Power EMP

In this paper, we have considered a methodical approach to forecast the consequences of the influence of pulsed electromagnetic fields on electronic devices based on three defined conditions of the disruption of device functioning. The approach is based on the use of key parameters of pulse disturbances in critical circuits of electronic devices. Depending on the problem being solved and features of the object being tested, the key parameters can be: the amplitude of a voltage pulse in a critical circuit of an object; the Joule integral; the energy; the frequency of repetition of influencing pulses; the probability of a bit error; the number of errors in a transferred data packet; the data rate, etc.

Influence of pulsed electromagnetic field on dermatological symptoms of hyperandrogen in obese women with polycystic ovarian syndrome

Influence of pulsed electromagnetic field on dermatological symptoms of hyperandrogen in obese women with polycystic ovarian syndrome

Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields and Tissue Engineering of the Joints

Bone and joint formation, maintenance, and regeneration are regulated by both chemical and physical signals. Among the physical signals there is an increasing realization of the role of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) in the treatment of nonunions of bone fractures. The discovery of the piezoelectric properties of bone by Fukada and Yasuda in 1953 in Japan established the foundation of this field. Pioneering research by Bassett and Brighton and their teams resulted in the approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the use of PEMF in the treatment of fracture healing. Although PEMF has potential applications in joint regeneration in osteoarthritis (OA), this evolving field is still in its infancy and offers novel opportunities. We have systematically reviewed the literature on the influence of PEMF in joints, including articular cartilage, tendons, and ligaments, of publications from 2000 to 2016. PEMF stimulated chondrocyte proliferation, differentiation, and extracellular matrix synthesis by release of anabolic morphogens such as bone morphogenetic proteins and anti-inflammatory cytokines by adenosine receptors A2A and A3 in both in vitro and in vivo investigations. It is noteworthy that in clinical translational investigations a beneficial effect was observed on improving function in OA knees. However, additional systematic studies on the mechanisms of action of PEMF on joints and tissues therein, articular cartilage, tendons, and ligaments are required.

Influence of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field on Plant Growth, Nutrient Absorption and Yield of Durum Wheat

Researchers have adopted the use of magnetic field as a new pre-sowing, environmental friendly technique. Enhancements on plant characteristics with economic impact on producer’s income could be the future of a modern, organic and sustainable agriculture. A field experiment was established at Soil Science Institute of Athens, Lycovrissi, Greece, in the winter of 2014. Two durum wheat cultivars were used. It was a pot experiment with 6 treatments (2 cultivars with 3 magnetic field time exposure). The seeds were treated using a PAPIMI electromagnetic field generator for 0, 30 and 45 minutes one day before planting. The experiment followed a completely randomized design with six treatments and 30 replications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the positive effect of magnetic field pre-sowing treatment in a wide range of plant measurements, including yield. The influence of pulsed electromagnetic field on two varieties of durum wheat seeds showed some statistically significant differences at the 0.05 level in growth measurements, physiological measurements and root growth measurements. Plant tissue analysis showed that magnetic field treatments had higher values than control in total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, copper (only MF-45), zinc (only MF-30) and boron content, although values showed statistically significant differences only in total nitrogen. The results indicate that this innovative technique can increase the yield of durum wheat, through enhanced absorption of nutrients. Pre-sowing treatment of the seeds leads to vigorous plant growth that are more productive.

Influence of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field on Plant Growth, Nutrient Absorption and Yield of Durum Wheat

Researchers have adopted the use of magnetic field as a new pre-sowing, environmental friendly technique. Enhancements on plant characteristics with economic impact on producer’s income could be the future of a modern, organic and sustainable agriculture. A field experiment was established at Soil Science Institute of Athens, Lycovrissi, Greece, in the winter of 2014. Two durum wheat cultivars were used. It was a pot experiment with 6 treatments (2 cultivars with 3 magnetic field time exposure). The seeds were treated using a PAPIMI electromagnetic field generator for 0, 30 and 45 minutes one day before planting. The experiment followed a completely randomized design with six treatments and 30 replications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the positive effect of magnetic field pre-sowing treatment in a wide range of plant measurements, including yield. The influence of pulsed electromagnetic field on two varieties of durum wheat seeds showed some statistically significant differences at the 0.05 level in growth measurements, physiological measurements and root growth measurements. Plant tissue analysis showed that magnetic field treatments had higher values than control in total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, copper (only MF-45), zinc (only MF-30) and boron content, although values showed statistically significant differences only in total nitrogen. The results indicate that this innovative technique can increase the yield of durum wheat, through enhanced absorption of nutrients. Pre-sowing treatment of the seeds leads to vigorous plant growth that are more productive.

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Stimulation of Intervertebral Disc Cells

Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) stimulation has been proposed for the noninvasive treatment of a variety of musculoskeletal disorders. PEMF is most commonly applied in the treatment of fracture nonunions or delayed fusion. PEMF stimulation devices are FDA approved as a complimentary therapy and there is clinical evidence of effectiveness for bone stimulation. More recently, potential therapeutic effects of PEMF on muscle and cartilage have been reported, with also an increasing interest in the application for the treatment of disc disorders. We have studied the influence of PEMFs in the mT range on isolated intervertebral disc cells in both 2D monolayer and 3D cell culture models, exploring the influence of parameters such as field strength, pulsing frequency, and daily exposure. Depending on the nature of the PEMF stimulation, we have demonstrated a mild anabolic effect, mostly of mitogenic nature, and also the potential to decrease the expression of catabolic enzymes, including matrix metalloproteinases and aggrecanases. A full and detailed understanding of the pathway(s) by which PEMFs influence cellular metabolism remains the topic of current investigations. Information on the optimal strategy for PEMF stimulation of the IVD is scarce. BMP-2 has been shown to mediate the response of disc cells to PEMF, suggesting a potential benefit of combined therapy. However, in vitro studies have also highlighted the highly variable nature of the response of disc cells to PEMF stimulation. Further work is required to elucidate the optimal parameters for PEMF therapy, to validate the process in vivo before translating the process to clinical practice. Disclosure of Interest None declared

Influence of pulsed electromagnetic and pulsed vector magnetic potential field on the growth of tumor cells

Aims and Background: Tumor diseases cause 20% of deaths in Europe and they are the second most common cause of death and morbidity after cardiovascular diseases. Thus, tumor cells are target of many therapeutic strategies and tumor research is focused on searching more efficient and specific drugs as well as new therapeutic approaches. One of the areas of tumor research is an issue of external fields. In our work, we tested influence of a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) and a hypothetic field of the pulsed vector magnetic potential (PVMP) on the growth of tumor cells; and further the possible growth inhibition effect of the PVMP. Methods: Both unipolar and bipolar PEMF fields of 5 mT and PVMP fields of 0 mT at frequencies of 15 Hz, 125 Hz and 625 Hz were tested on cancer cell lines derived from various types of tumors: CEM/C2 (acute lymphoblastic leukemia), SU-DHL-4 (B-cell lymphoma), COLO-320DM (colorectal adenocarcinoma), MDA-BM-468 (breast adenocarcinoma), and ZR-75-1 (ductal carcinoma). Cell morphology was observed, proliferation activity using WST assay was measured and simultaneous proportion of live, early apoptotic and dead cells was detected using flow cytometry. Results: A PEMF of 125 Hz and 625 Hz for 24 h–48 h increased proliferation activity in the 2 types of cancer cell lines used, i.e. COLO-320DM and ZR-75-1. In contrast, any of employed methods did not confirm a significant inhibitory effect of hypothetic PVMP field on tumor cells.

Influence of different types of electromagnetic fields on skin reparatory processes in experimental animals

Wound healing is a very complex process, some phases of which have only recently been explained. Magnetic and electromagnetic fields can modulate this process in a non-thermal way. The aim of this research was to compare the influence of constant and pulsed electromagnetic fields and low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on wound healing in experimental animals. The experiment was conducted on 120 laboratory rats divided into four groups of 30 animals each (constant electromagnetic field, pulsed electromagnetic field, LLLT and control group). It lasted for 21 days. Under the influence of the constant electromagnetic field the healing of the skin defect was accelerated in comparison with the control group. The difference was statistically significant in all the weeks of the experiment at the P < 0.01 level. Accelerated healing was also observed under the influence of the pulsed electromagnetic field (P < 0.05). In the group of animals exposed to LLLT, the healing of the skin defect was faster than in the control group. The statistical significance was at the P < 0.05 level. Different types of electromagnetic fields have a promoting effect on the wound healing process.

Why do Electromagnetic Pulses Enhance Bone Growth?

The excitation probability of substrate molecules involved in the production of growth factors influencing the division of chondrocytes in the growth layer of bone under the influence of pulsed electromagnetic fields is studied theoretically in a quantum mechanical model calculation. In this model matrix elements and anti-bonding energy levels are assumed known and the dynamics of the interaction with pulsed electromagnetic fields is derived. The derivation makes it clear that continuous pulsing or large driving currents can overwhelm local diffusive transport to the growth plane resulting in a loss of its enhancement properties. Optimal locations within a pair of Helmholtz coils for enhancement of bone growth are also investigated and found to be close to the coils. The work presented here is believed to be the first derivation in a model calculation of a physical basis for the effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields on bone growth and fusion.

A Study of the Effects of Flux Density and Frequency of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field on Neurite Outgrowth in PC12 Cells

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of pulsed electromagnetic fields with various flux densities and frequencies on neurite outgrowth in PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells. We have studied the percentage of neurite-bearing cells, average length of neurites and directivity of neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells cultured for 96 hours in the presence of nerve growth factor (NGF). PC12 cells were exposed to 50 Hz pulsed electromagnetic fields with a flux density of 1.37 mT, 0.19 mT and 0.016 mT respectively. The field was generated through a Helmholtz coil pair housed in one incubator and the control samples were placed in another identical incubator. It was found that exposure to both a relatively high flux density (1.37 mT) and a medium flux density (0.19 mT) inhibited the percentage of neurite-bearing cells and promoted neurite length significantly. Exposure to high flux density (1.37 mT) also resulted in nearly 20% enhancement of neurite directivity along the field direction. However, exposure to low flux density field (0.016 mT) had no detectable effect on neurite outgrowth. We also studied the effect of frequency at the constant flux density of 1.37 mT. In the range from 1 approximately 100 Hz, only 50 and 70 Hz pulse frequencies had significant effects on neurite outgrowth. Our study has shown that neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells is sensitive to flux density and frequency of pulsed electromagnetic field.

Influence of pulsed electromagnetic field with different pulse duty cycles on neurite outgrowth in PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells

The influence of low frequency (50 Hz repetition rate) pulsed electromagnetic field (EMF) on PC12 cell neurite outgrowth in vitro was investigated in this study. We studied the percentage of neurite bearing cells, average length of neurites, and directivity of neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells cultured for 96 h in the presence of nerve growth factor (NGF). PC12 cells were exposed in one incubator to pulsed EMF at 1.36 mT (peak value) generated by a pair of Helmholtz coils, and the control samples were placed in another identical incubator. We found that the pulse duty cycle had significant effect on neurite outgrowth. Low (10%) pulse on-time significantly inhibited the percentage of neurite bearing cells, but at the same time increased the average length of neurites, while 100% on-time (DC) had exactly the opposite effects. Furthermore, we found that neurites were prone to extend along the direction of pulsed EMF with 10% pulse on-time. Our studies show that neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells is sensitive to the pulse duty and this sensitivity was associated with NGF concentration.

Pulsed electromagnetic fields preserve proteoglycan composition of extracellular matrix in embryonic chick sternal cartilage

The influence of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) on proteoglycan composition in cartilage extracellular matrix has been investigated. Day 16 embryonic chick sternal cartilage was explanted to culture and exposed for 3 h per day for 2 days to a repetitive single-pulse PEMF with frequency of 15 Hz and peak magnetic field of 1.25 G. PEMF treatment did not affect cell proliferation, as indicated by [ 3H]thymidine incorporation, but significantly stimulated the retention of glycosaminoglycans in the explants and reduced the release of glycosaminoglycans into the media. Determination of incorporation of [ 35S]sulfate and [ 3H] N-acetylglucosamine into proteoglycans in vitro and breakdown of in ovo labelled [ 35S]sulfated proteoglycans in vitro showed that PEMF treatment significantly suppressed the synthesis of proteoglycans and the degradation of both newly synthesized and pre-existing proteoglycans. Sepharose CL-2B chromatography demonstrated that PEMF did not affect either the size distribution of newly synthesized and pre-existing [ 35S]sulfated proteoglycans or their ability to aggregate with hyaluronate. Sepharose CL-6B chromatography followed by cellulose acetate electrophoresis revealed that the chain length and degree of sulfation of [ 35S]sulfated glycosaminoglycans were identical in control and PEMF-treated cultures. It is concluded that PEMF treatment preserved extracellular matrix integrity of cultured cartilage explants by down-regulating proteoglycan synthesis and degradation in a co-ordinated manner without affecting their gross structural nature.

Influence of pulsed electromagnetic fields on healing of experimental colonic anastomosis

The study investigated the influence of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) on the mechanical strength and collagen content of uncomplicated colonic anastomosis in rats. A standardized left colonic resection was performed 3 cm above the peritoneal reflection, and end-to-end anastomosis was constructed with eight interrupted inverting sutures. Beginning immediately after surgery, randomly assigned groups were exposed to one of the following: 1) 100 Hz (frequency), 1 mT (intensity) PEMFs with 16-hour on/8-hour off cycles (n = 8); 2) 100 Hz, 2 mT PEMFs with 16-hour on/8-hour off cycles (n = 8); 3) 100 Hz, 1 mT PEMFs with 6-hour on/6-hour off cycles (n = 6), whereas the control group (n = 10) received no PEMFs. Relaparatomy was performed at 72 hours postoperatively, and the bursting pressure of the anastomotic segment was recorded in situ. The hydroxyproline contents of the anastomotic and adjacent perianastomotic segments of equal lengths were determined. Mean bursting pressure values of the groups that received 100 Hz, 1 or 2 mT PEMFs with 16-hour on/8-hour off cycles (90.88 +/- 19.13 and 83.88 +/- 7.08 mmHg, respectively) were significantly higher than those of the control group (61.66 +/- 10.6 mmHg) and the group with 6-hour on/6-hour off cycles (64.83 +/- 7.36 mmHg; P < 0.05 for all comparisons). Hydroxyproline contents of the anastomotic and perianastomotic segments were consistently higher in the 16-hour on/8-hour off PEMF groups, compared with those of the corresponding segments of the control group. PEMFs applied externally to unrestrained rats within a "window of PEMF parameters" provided a significant gain in the mechanical strength of the colonic anastomosis, at least 72 hours post-operatively. Associated relative increases in the hydroxyproline contents of the (peri)anastomotic colonic segments suggest that an altered collagen metabolism might contribute to this enhancement of the anastomotic repair. Further investigations based on these preliminary data and the definition of the exact measures regarding the effects of PEMFs on biologic systems, in general, may lead to an efficient and new adjunctive modality in colorectal surgery.