Author(s)

Emanuele Calabrò, Salvatore Condello, Salvatore Magazù, Riccardo Ientile

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Human neuronal-like cells were exposed to static and 50 Hz electromagnetic fields at the intensities of 2 mT and 1 mT, respectively. The effects of exposure were investigated in the mid-infrared region by means of Fourier self deconvolu-tion spectroscopic analysis. After exposure of 3 hours to static and 50 Hz electromagnetic fields, the vibration bands of CH2 methilene group increased significantly after both exposures, suggesting a relative increase of lipid related to conformational changes in the cell membrane due to electromagnetic fields. In addition, PO2- stretching phosphate bands decreased after both exposures, suggesting that alteration in DNA/RNA can be occurred. In particular, exposure of 3 hours to 50 Hz electromagnetic fields produced significant increases in β-sheet contents in amide I, and around the 1740 cm?1 band assigned to non-hydrogen-bonded ester carbonyl stretching mode, that can be related to unfolding processes of proteins structure and cells death. Further exposure up to 18 hours to static magnetic field produced an increase in β-sheet contents as to α-helix components of amide I region, as well.

Static Magnetic Field, 50 Hz Electromagnetic Field, Neuronal-Like Cells, FTIR Spectroscopy

E. Calabrò, S. Condello, S. Magazù and R. Ientile, "Static and 50 Hz Electromagnetic Fields Effects on Human Neuronal-Like Cells Vibration Bands in the Mid-Infrared Region," Journal of Electromagnetic Analysis and Applications, Vol. 3 No. 2, 2011, pp. 69-78. doi: 10.4236/jemaa.2011.32012.