Radiofrequency radiation at 2.856 GHz does not affect key cellular endpoints in neuron-like PC12 cells

ABSTRACT

To investigate the potential cytotoxicity of radiofrequency (RF) radiation on central nervous system, rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells were exposed to 2.856 GHz RF radiation at a specific absorption rate (SAR) of 4 W/kg for 8 h a day for 2 days in 35 mm Petri dishes. During exposure, the real-time variation of the culture medium temperature was monitored in the first hour. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration, and cell apoptosis rate were assessed immediately after exposure by flow cytometry. The results showed that the medium temperature raised about 0.93 °C, but no significant changes were observed in apoptosis, ROS levels or intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration after treatment. Although several studies suggested that RF radiation does indeed cause neurological effects, this study presented inconsistent results, indicating that 2.856 GHz RF radiation exposure at a SAR of 4 W/kg does not have a dramatic impact on PC12 cells, and suggests the need for further investigation on the key cellular endpoints of other nerve cells after exposure to RF radiation.

KEYWORDS:

• Radiofrequency radiation
• PC12 cells
• apoptosis
• reactive oxygen species
• Ca²⁺

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from National Science and Technology Major Project of the Ministry of science and Technology of China (NO. 2013ZX09J13102-09). The authors would like to give special thanks to the editor and referees for comments and suggestions that greatly improved the substance and presentation of the paper.

Disclosure Statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China [NO. 2013ZX09J13102-09].