Expression and Activity of the Transcription Factor CCAAT/Enhancer-Binding Protein β (C/EBPβ) Is Regulated

2023 · Mixed · Low evidence

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MixedLow evidencePaper 413

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2023

Study typein_vitro

Reported directionMixed

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Expression and Activity of the Transcription Factor CCAAT/Enhancer-Binding Protein β (C/EBPβ) Is Regulated by Specific Pulse-Modulated Radio Frequencies in Oligodendroglial Cells Huang B, Zhao W, Cai X, Zhu Y, Lu Y, Zhao J, Xiang N, Wang X, Deng H, Tang X, Liu L, Zhao Y, Shi Y. Expression and Activity of the Transcription Factor CCAAT/Enhancer-Binding Protein β (C/EBPβ) Is Regulated by Specific Pulse- Modulated Radio Frequencies in Oligodendroglial Cells. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jul 5;24(13):11131. doi: 10.3390/ijms241311131. Abstract The rapid growth of wireless electronic devices has raised concerns about the harmful effects of leaked electromagnetic radiation (EMR) on human health. Even though numerous studies have been carried out to explore the biological effects of EMR, no clear conclusions have been drawn about the effect of radio frequency (RF) EMR on oligodendrocytes. To this end, we exposed oligodendroglia and three other types of brain cells to 2.4 GHz EMR for 6 or 48 h at an average input power of 1 W in either a continuous wave (CW-RF) or a pulse- modulated wave (PW-RF, 50 Hz pulse frequency, 1/3 duty cycle) pattern. RNA sequencing, RT-qPCR, and Western blot were used to examine the expression of C/EBPβ and its related genes. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was used to examine the levels of expression of C/EBPβ-interacting proteins. Our results showed that PW-RF EMR significantly increased the mRNA level of C/EBPβ in oligodendroglia but not in other types of cells. In addition, the expression of three isoforms and several interacting proteins and targeted genes of C/EBPβ were markedly changed after 6-h PW-RF but not CW-RF. Our results indicated that RF EMR regulated the expression and functions of C/EBPβ in a waveform- and cell-type-dependent manner. Conclusions The 2.4 GHz frequency range is widely used in modern electronic devices and is frequently experienced in our daily lives, but its impacts on gene expression and function in oligodendrocytes are unclear. Our data showed that exposure to pulse-modulated 2.4 GHz EMR for a period of 6 h has the potential to regulate the expression and function of the transcriptional factor C/EBPβ in oligodendroglial cells. The inference therefore cannot be discounted that exposure to RF-EMR may be having unanticipated biological effects. Open access paper: mdpi.com

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AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typein_vitro

Effect directionmixed

PopulationOligodendroglia and three other types of brain cells (cell culture)

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureRF · 2400 MHz · 6 or 48 h

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Oligodendroglia and three other brain cell types were exposed to 2.4 GHz RF-EMR (average input power 1 W) as continuous wave (CW-RF) or pulse-modulated wave (PW-RF; 50 Hz pulse frequency, 1/3 duty cycle) for 6 or 48 h. PW-RF significantly increased C/EBPβ mRNA in oligodendroglia but not in the other cell types. After 6 h, PW-RF (but not CW-RF) was associated with marked changes in C/EBPβ isoforms and in several interacting proteins and target genes, suggesting waveform- and cell-type-dependent regulation.

Outcomes measured

C/EBPβ mRNA expression
Expression of C/EBPβ isoforms
Expression of C/EBPβ-interacting proteins (MRM)
Expression of C/EBPβ-related/target genes (RNA-seq, RT-qPCR, Western blot)

Limitations

No sample size or replication details provided in the abstract
Exposure metric reported as average input power (1 W) without SAR or field strength in the abstract
In vitro findings; human health implications not directly assessed in the abstract

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "in_vitro",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": null,
    "frequency_mhz": 2400,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "6 or 48 h"
  },
  "population": "Oligodendroglia and three other types of brain cells (cell culture)",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "C/EBPβ mRNA expression",
    "Expression of C/EBPβ isoforms",
    "Expression of C/EBPβ-interacting proteins (MRM)",
    "Expression of C/EBPβ-related/target genes (RNA-seq, RT-qPCR, Western blot)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Oligodendroglia and three other brain cell types were exposed to 2.4 GHz RF-EMR (average input power 1 W) as continuous wave (CW-RF) or pulse-modulated wave (PW-RF; 50 Hz pulse frequency, 1/3 duty cycle) for 6 or 48 h. PW-RF significantly increased C/EBPβ mRNA in oligodendroglia but not in the other cell types. After 6 h, PW-RF (but not CW-RF) was associated with marked changes in C/EBPβ isoforms and in several interacting proteins and target genes, suggesting waveform- and cell-type-dependent regulation.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [
    "No sample size or replication details provided in the abstract",
    "Exposure metric reported as average input power (1 W) without SAR or field strength in the abstract",
    "In vitro findings; human health implications not directly assessed in the abstract"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "radiofrequency",
    "2.4 GHz",
    "pulse-modulated",
    "continuous wave",
    "oligodendroglia",
    "oligodendrocytes",
    "C/EBPβ",
    "gene expression",
    "RNA sequencing",
    "RT-qPCR",
    "Western blot",
    "MRM"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "school-wi-fi",
      "weight": 0.55,
      "reason": "Exposure frequency is 2.4 GHz, commonly used by Wi‑Fi; study examines biological effects of 2.4 GHz RF-EMR."
    }
  ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311131
PubMed: Not supplied

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