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Apoptosis Studies in In Vivo/In Vitro Experimental Models of Non-ionizing Radiation

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 10088

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Elena López-Martín

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Guest Editor

Department of Morphological Sciences (Human Anatomy area), School of Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Interests: non-ionizing radiation; electromagnetic fields; specific absorption rate; experimental radiation models: in vivo and in vitro; heat shock proteins; apoptosis; biomarkers in brain and/or thyroid

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Programmed cell death or apoptosis is a natural biochemical process which ensures the correct development of the cells of living beings, allowing their functions to be carried out and preventing the accumulation of damaged and aged cells. Based on the signals cells receive from their interior and their environment, the apoptosis is encoded in the genetic information of the cell itself and this is what dictates how and when it must be carried out. External environmental stimulus such as non-ionizing radiation sources have been reported as triggers of oxidative stress, cell damage, autophagy, and apoptosis. The study of pre-apoptotic activation pathways through caspases in an intrinsic (mitochondrial) or extrinsic (external receptors) way, using in vivo (animal) or in vitro (cellular) models in mammals exposed to sources of electromagnetic fields enables the detection of dysfunctions in programmed cell death, approximating the mechanisms of human pathologies.

Scientific research on the effects of electromagnetic fields on the apoptosis phenomena of cells and tissues in mammals could help us to understand and characterize the behavior of possible carcinogenic effects in humans or to associate them with neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases. The other side of the coin is that non-ionizing radiation can act as an anticancer agent, as is already described in the literature.

A better understanding of the modulation exerted, at molecular level, by non-ionizing radiation in cellular apoptosis, through the study of in vivo and in vitro models in mammals, could have important implications in human pathology and/or therapeutics.

Dr. Elena López-Martín
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

apoptosis
electromagnetic fields
non ionizing radiation
caspases
cancer
oxidative stress
autophagy

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 1413 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Inhibition of Autophagy Negates Radiofrequency-Induced Adaptive Response in SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells

by Anna Sannino, Maria Rosaria Scarfì, Mélody Dufossée, Stefania Romeo, Loredana Poeta, Valerie Prouzet-Mauléon, Muriel Priault and Olga Zeni

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(15), 8414; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms23158414 - 29 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1253

Abstract

In the last years, radiofrequency (RF) has demonstrated that it can reduce DNA damage induced by a subsequent treatment with chemical or physical agents in different cell types, resembling the adaptive response, a phenomenon well documented in radiobiology. Such an effect has also been reported by other authors both in vitro and in vivo, and plausible hypotheses have been formulated, spanning from the perturbation of the cell redox status, to DNA repair mechanisms, and stress response machinery, as possible cellular mechanisms activated by RF pre-exposure. These mechanisms may underpin the observed phenomenon, and require deeper investigations. The present study aimed to determine whether autophagy contributes to RF-induced adaptive response. To this purpose, SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells were exposed for 20 h to 1950 MHz, UMTS signal, and then treated with menadione. The results obtained indicated a reduction in menadione-induced DNA damage, assessed by applying the comet assay. Such a reduction was negated when autophagy was inhibited by bafilomycin A1 and E64d. Moreover, CRISPR SH-SY5Y cell lines defective for ATG7 or ATG5 genes did not show an adaptive response. These findings suggest the involvement of autophagy in the RF-induced adaptive response in human neuroblastoma cells; although, further investigation is required to extend such observation at the molecular level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Apoptosis Studies in In Vivo/In Vitro Experimental Models of Non-ionizing Radiation)

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21 pages, 2731 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Label-Free Study of the Global Cell Behavior during Exposure to Environmental Radiofrequency Fields in the Presence or Absence of Pro-Apoptotic or Pro-Autophagic Treatments

by Alexandre Joushomme, André Garenne, Mélody Dufossée, Rémy Renom, Hermanus Johannes Ruigrok, Yann Loick Chappe, Anne Canovi, Lorenza Patrignoni, Annabelle Hurtier, Florence Poulletier de Gannes, Isabelle Lagroye, Philippe Lévêque, Noëlle Lewis, Muriel Priault, Delia Arnaud-Cormos and Yann Percherancier

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(2), 658; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms23020658 - 08 Jan 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2469

Abstract

It remains controversial whether exposure to environmental radiofrequency signals (RF) impacts cell status or response to cellular stress such as apoptosis or autophagy. We used two label-free techniques, cellular impedancemetry and Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM), to assess the overall cellular response during RF exposure alone, or during co-exposure to RF and chemical treatments known to induce either apoptosis or autophagy. Two human cell lines (SH-SY5Y and HCT116) and two cultures of primary rat cortex cells (astrocytes and co-culture of neurons and glial cells) were exposed to RF using an 1800 MHz carrier wave modulated with various environmental signals (GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications, 2G signal), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, 3G signal), LTE (Long-Term Evolution, 4G signal, and Wi-Fi) or unmodulated RF (continuous wave, CW). The specific absorption rates (S.A.R.) used were 1.5 and 6 W/kg during DHM experiments and ranged from 5 to 24 W/kg during the recording of cellular impedance. Cells were continuously exposed for three to five consecutive days while the temporal phenotypic signature of cells behavior was recorded at constant temperature. Statistical analysis of the results does not indicate that RF-EMF exposure impacted the global behavior of healthy, apoptotic, or autophagic cells, even at S.A.R. levels higher than the guidelines, provided that the temperature was kept constant. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Apoptosis Studies in In Vivo/In Vitro Experimental Models of Non-ionizing Radiation)

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13 pages, 2080 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of 445 nm, 520 nm, and 638 nm Laser Irradiation on the Dermal Cells

by Łukasz Szymański, Martyna Ciepielak, Aleksandra Cios, Małgorzata Palusińska, Wanda Stankiewicz and Sławomir Lewicki

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(21), 11605; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms222111605 - 27 Oct 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2445

Abstract

Background: The invention of non-ionizing emission devices revolutionized science, medicine, industry, and the military. Currently, different laser systems are commonly used, generating the potential threat of excessive radiation exposure, which can lead to adverse health effects. Skin is the organ most exposed to laser irradiation; therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effects of 445 nm, 520 nm, and 638 nm non-ionizing irradiation on keratinocytes and fibroblasts. Methods: Keratinocytes and fibroblasts were exposed to a different fluency of 445 nm, 520 nm, and 638 nm laser irradiation. In addition, viability, type of cell death, cell cycle distribution, and proliferation rates were investigated. Results: The 445 nm irradiation was cytotoxic to BJ-5ta (≥58.7 J/cm²) but not to Ker-CT cells. Exposure influenced the cell cycle distribution of Ker-CT (≥61.2 J/cm²) and BJ-5ta (≥27.6 J/cm²) cells, as well as the Bj-5ta proliferation rate (≥50.5 J/cm²). The 520 nm irradiation was cytotoxic to BJ-5ta (≥468.4 J/cm²) and Ker-CT (≥385.7 J/cm²) cells. Cell cycle distribution (≥27.6 J/cm²) of Ker-CT cells was also affected. The 638 nm irradiation was cytotoxic to BJ-5ta and Ker-CT cells (≥151.5 J/cm²). The proliferation rate and cell cycle distribution of BJ-5ta (≥192.9 J/cm²) and Ker-CT (13.8 and 41.3 J/cm²) cells were also affected. Conclusions: At high fluences, 455 nm, 520 nm, and 638 nm irradiation, representing blue, green, and red light spectra, are hazardous to keratinocytes and fibroblasts. However, laser irradiation may benefit the cells at low fluences by modulating the cell cycle and proliferation rate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Apoptosis Studies in In Vivo/In Vitro Experimental Models of Non-ionizing Radiation)

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Review

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12 pages, 1515 KiB

Open AccessReview

An Open Question: Is Non-Ionizing Radiation a Tool for Controlling Apoptosis-Induced Proliferation?

by Samantha J. Hack, Luke J. Kinsey and Wendy S. Beane

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(20), 11159; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms222011159 - 16 Oct 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2823

Abstract

Non-ionizing radiation is commonly used in the clinical setting, despite its known ability to trigger oxidative stress and apoptosis, which can lead to damage and cell death. Although induction of cell death is typically considered harmful, apoptosis can also be beneficial in the right context. For example, cell death can serve as the signal for new tissue growth, such as in apoptosis-induced proliferation. Recent data has shown that exposure to non-ionizing radiation (such as weak static magnetic fields, weak radiofrequency magnetic fields, and weak electromagnetic fields) is able to modulate proliferation, both in cell culture and in living organisms (for example during tissue regeneration). This occurs via in vivo changes in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are canonical activators of apoptosis. This review will describe the literature that highlights the tantalizing possibility that non-ionizing radiation could be used to manipulate apoptosis-induced proliferation to either promote growth (for regenerative medicine) or inhibit it (for cancer therapies). However, as uncontrolled growth can lead to tumorigenesis, much more research into this exciting and developing area is needed in order to realize its promise. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Apoptosis Studies in In Vivo/In Vitro Experimental Models of Non-ionizing Radiation)

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