Electromagnetic field affects the voltage-dependent potassium channel Kv1.3.

Electromagnetic biology and medicine · 2020 · Mixed · Low evidence

← Research stream

MixedLow evidencePaper 5629

Exposure to a 20 Hz electromagnetic field (268 μT or 902 μT) significantly increased the Kv1.3 (K1.3) current in a subpopulation of CHO-K1 cells. The increase appeared within seconds of exposure onset, reached a steady state, and returned to baseline over sev…

Study snapshot

PublicationElectromagnetic biology and medicine · 2020

Study typein_vitro

Reported directionMixed

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

PURPOSE: Theoretical and experimental evidences support the hypothesis that Extremely Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields (ELF-EMF) can modulate voltage-gated channels. In this work we investigated the effect of ELF-EMF on K1.3, a member of the family of the voltage-gated potassium channels that is thought to be involved in key physiological functions, including the regulation of T-cells activation during the immune response. MATERIALS AND METHODS: K1.3 expressing CHO-K1 cells were exposed to a 20 Hz electromagnetic field at two different intensities: 268 μT and 902 μT. K1.3 potassium currents were recorded by whole-cell patch-clamp before, during and after field exposure. RESULTS: We found that the K1.3 current was increased significantly by the ELF-EMF in a subpopulation of CHO-K1 cells. The increase developed after a few seconds from the start of exposure, reached a steady-state and took several minutes to return to the baseline after field removal. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that K1.3 may mediate interactions between ELF-EMF and living cells, disclosing new research opportunities on the molecular mechanisms with which electromagnetic fields affect physiological and pathological processes, including immunomodulation, inflammation and cancer.

Machine Enhanced Logic

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

PopulationKv1.3-expressing CHO-K1 cells

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureELF · 2e-05 MHz

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Outcomes measured

Kv1.3 (K1.3) potassium current amplitude (whole-cell patch-clamp)

Limitations

In vitro cell model (CHO-K1) may not generalize to in vivo physiology
Effect reported only in a subpopulation of cells (heterogeneous response)
Exposure duration and other exposure conditions not specified in the abstract
Sample size not reported in the abstract

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "in_vitro",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "ELF",
    "source": null,
    "frequency_mhz": 2e-05,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "Kv1.3-expressing CHO-K1 cells",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Kv1.3 (K1.3) potassium current amplitude (whole-cell patch-clamp)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Exposure to a 20 Hz electromagnetic field (268 μT or 902 μT) significantly increased the Kv1.3 (K1.3) current in a subpopulation of CHO-K1 cells. The increase appeared within seconds of exposure onset, reached a steady state, and returned to baseline over several minutes after field removal.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [
    "In vitro cell model (CHO-K1) may not generalize to in vivo physiology",
    "Effect reported only in a subpopulation of cells (heterogeneous response)",
    "Exposure duration and other exposure conditions not specified in the abstract",
    "Sample size not reported in the abstract"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "ELF-EMF",
    "extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields",
    "20 Hz",
    "268 μT",
    "902 μT",
    "Kv1.3",
    "K1.3",
    "voltage-gated potassium channel",
    "patch-clamp",
    "CHO-K1 cells",
    "T-cell activation",
    "immunomodulation"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "elf-emf",
      "weight": 0.9,
      "reason": "Study tests extremely low-frequency EMF (20 Hz) effects on a voltage-gated ion channel in vitro."
    },
    {
      "slug": "mechanisms-ion-channels",
      "weight": 0.85,
      "reason": "Primary outcome is modulation of a voltage-dependent potassium channel current (Kv1.3) measured by patch-clamp."
    }
  ]
}

AI can be wrong. Always verify against the paper.

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: 10.1080/15368378.2020.1799386
PubMed: 32783480

Read the original paper →

Related papers

← Back to the Research Library