Synaptosome behaviour is unaffected by weak pulsed electromagnetic fields

✍ Scribed by C. Aldinucci; A. Carretta; S. Maiorca; V. Rossi; L. Ciccoli; G.P. Pessina

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 121 KB
• Volume: 28
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0197-8462
• DOI: 10.1002/bem.20322

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The present study examined the effect on rat cortical synaptosomes of a 2 h exposure to 50‐Hz electromagnetic fields (EMFs) with a peak magnetic field of 2 mT. We measured modifications of synaptosomal mitochondrial respiration rate, ATP production, membrane potential, intrasynaptosomal Ca^2+^ concentration and free iron release. The O~2~ consumption remained unvaried in exposed synaptosomes at about 2 nM O~2~/min/mg proteins; ATP production was also unchanged. The intrasynaptosomal Ca^2+^ concentration decreased slowly and there was a slight, but non‐significant, depolarisation of the synaptosomal membrane. Finally, the free iron release by synaptosomal suspensions, a useful predictor of neuro‐developmental outcome, remained unchanged after EMF exposure. On the whole, our results indicate that the physiological behaviour of cortical synaptosomes is not affected by weak pulsed EMFs. Bioelectromagnetics 28:477–483, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.