Effects of Short - Term Exposure to ( 1mT , 50 Hz ) Electromagnetic Fields on Calcium Concentration in Different Brain Regions of Mice : The Role of Calcium Channel Blocker

Afnan Freije, Lama Saknini, Rukaya Abdul Ghafoor
2015 Bahrain Medical Bulletin  
Objective: To evaluate the effect of short-term exposure to 50 Hz (1 mT) extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF EMFs) on the Ca 2+ concentration in 4 different regions of the mice brain (cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus and brainstem). Setting: University of Bahrain, Arabian Gulf University. Design: Prospective Randomized Controlled Study. Method: Adult BALB/c male mice were exposed to 50 Hz (1 mT) ELF-EMFs for 2 hours/day for five consecutive days and were treated orally with the
more » ... lcium channel blocker Amlodipine. Calcium was extracted from the mice brain tissues and the concentration of Ca 2+ was determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Result: The effect of ELF EMFs exposure on the Ca 2+ concentrations varied in different regions of the brain, with a significant increase (P<0.05) only in the hippocampus and the brainstem. This increase occurred during short-term exposure to ELF EMFs and the Ca 2+ concentrations started to decrease during the interval of no exposure. Conclusion: The rise in Ca 2+ concentration due to ELF EMFs exposure did not occur in mice treated with the calcium channel blocker Amlodipine. The increase in Ca 2+ concentrations could have involved activation of the voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) by ELF EMFs.
doi:10.12816/0014418 fatcat:bh5lpdg35be2bi5emynkfocfyi