Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1982 Jul;79(13):4180–4184. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.13.4180

Effects of electromagnetic stimuli on bone and bone cells in vitro: Inhibition of responses to parathyroid hormone by low-energy low-frequency fields

Richard A Luben *, Christopher D Cain *, Monica Chi-Yun Chen *, David M Rosen *, W Ross Adey †
PMCID: PMC346601  PMID: 6287472

Abstract

Low-energy electromagnetic fields pulsed at frequencies of 10-90 Hz significantly increase healing of chronic fracture nonunions in man. These fields are effective at tissue current levels several orders of magnitude lower than those required for transmembrane depolarization of normal cells. We have examined the effects of two clinically used pulsed electromagnetic fields on cultures of the osteoblast-like mouse bone cell line MMB-1. Both fields significantly reduced cellular production of cAMP in response to parathyroid hormone and osteoclast activating factor. Neither basal nor fluoride-activated levels of adenylate cyclase were altered in membranes from cells cultured in the fields; however, the same membrane preparations exhibited markedly inhibited responses to parathyroid hormone. The fields blocked the inhibitory effects of the hormone on collagen synthesis by MMB-1 cells. However, there was no effect on the inhibition of collagen synthesis by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, which is believed to act primarily by a nuclear, rather than by a membrane-dependent, mechanism. No significant differences were noted between effects of the two fields, one generating continuous pulse trains (72 Hz) and the other generating recurrent bursts (15 Hz) of shorter pulses. We hypothesize that these field effects are mediated primarily at the plasma membrane of osteoblasts, either by interference with hormone-receptor interactions or by blocking of receptor-cyclase coupling in the membrane. These responses occurred with induced extracellular fields of 1 mV/cm or less, even though transmembrane potential gradients are typically 105 V/cm.

Keywords: electromagnetic field, cAMP, collagen synthesis, hormone response, nonequilibrium interaction

Full text

PDF
4180

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Adey W. R. Tissue interactions with nonionizing electromagnetic fields. Physiol Rev. 1981 Apr;61(2):435–514. doi: 10.1152/physrev.1981.61.2.435. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bassett C. A. Biologic significance of piezoelectricity. Calcif Tissue Res. 1968 Mar;1(4):252–272. doi: 10.1007/BF02008098. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bassett C. A., Pilla A. A., Pawluk R. J. A non-operative salvage of surgically-resistant pseudarthroses and non-unions by pulsing electromagnetic fields. A preliminary report. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1977 May;(124):128–143. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bawin S. M., Adey W. R., Sabbot I. M. Ionic factors in release of 45Ca2+ from chicken cerebral tissue by electromagnetic fields. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Dec;75(12):6314–6318. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.12.6314. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bawin S. M., Adey W. R. Sensitivity of calcium binding in cerebral tissue to weak environmental electric fields oscillating at low frequency. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1976 Jun;73(6):1999–2003. doi: 10.1073/pnas.73.6.1999. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bawin S. M., Kaczmarek L. K., Adey W. R. Effects of modulated VHF fields on the central nervous system. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1975 Feb 28;247:74–81. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1975.tb35984.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Becker R. O. Electrical osteogenesis--pro and con. Calcif Tissue Res. 1978 Dec 8;26(2):93–97. doi: 10.1007/BF02013241. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Brighton C. T., Black J., Friedenberg Z. B., Esterhai J. L., Day L. J., Connolly J. F. A multicenter study of the treatment of non-union with constant direct current. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1981 Jan;63(1):2–13. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Dziak R., Stern P. H. Calcium transport in isolated bone cells. III. Effects of parathyroid hormone and cyclic 3',5'-AMP. Endocrinology. 1975 Nov;97(5):1281–1287. doi: 10.1210/endo-97-5-1281. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Dziak R., Stern P. Parathyromimetic effects of the ionophore, A23187, on bone cells and organ cultures. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1975 Aug 18;65(4):1343–1349. doi: 10.1016/s0006-291x(75)80377-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. HODGKIN A. L., HUXLEY A. F. A quantitative description of membrane current and its application to conduction and excitation in nerve. J Physiol. 1952 Aug;117(4):500–544. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1952.sp004764. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Krieger N. S., Tashjian A. H., Jr Parathyroid hormone stimulates bone resorption via a Na-Ca exchange mechanism. Nature. 1980 Oct 30;287(5785):843–845. doi: 10.1038/287843a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Luben R. A., Chen M. C., Rosen D. M., Mohler M. A. Effects of osteoclast activating factor from human lymphocytes on cyclic AMP concentrations in isolated mouse bone and bone cells. Calcif Tissue Int. 1979 Aug 24;28(1):23–32. doi: 10.1007/BF02441214. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Luben R. A. Purification of a lymphokine: osteoclast activating factor from human tonsil lymphocytes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1978 Sep 14;84(1):15–22. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(78)90256-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Peck W. A. Cyclic AMP as a second messenger in the skeletal actions of parathyroid hormone: a decade-old hypothesis. Calcif Tissue Int. 1979 Nov;29(1):1–4. doi: 10.1007/BF02408047. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Ross E. M., Gilman A. G. Reconstitution of catecholamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase activity: interactions of solubilized components with receptor-replete membranes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Sep;74(9):3715–3719. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.9.3715. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Schwarz G., Klose S., Balthasar W. Cooperative binding to linear biopolymers. 2. Thermodynamic analysis of the proflavine-poly(L-glutamic acid) system. Eur J Biochem. 1970 Feb;12(3):454–460. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1970.tb00872.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Wong G. L., Luben R. A., Cohn D. V. 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol and parathormone: effects on isolated osteoclast-like and osteoblast-like cells. Science. 1977 Aug 12;197(4304):663–665. doi: 10.1126/science.195343. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are provided here courtesy of National Academy of Sciences

RESOURCES