Summary
In order to evaluate the effects of pulsing electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) on cell proliferation and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) synthesis and to study the action site of PEMF stimulation in the cells, we performed a series of experiments on rabbit costal growth cartilage cells and human articular cartilage cells in culture. A PEMF stimulator was made using a Helmholz coil. Repetitive pulse burst electric currents with a burst width of 76 ms, a pulse width of 230 μs and 6.4 Hz were passed through this coil. The magnetic field strength reached 0.4 mT (tesla) on the average. The syntheses of DNA and GAG were measured by 3H-thymidine and 35S-sulfuric acid incorporations. The effects on the cells treated with lidocaine, adriamycin and irradiation were also measured using a colony forming assay. The PEMF stimulation for the duration of 5 days promoted both cell proliferation and GAG synthesis in growth cartilage cells and intermittent stimulation on and off alternatively every 12 h increased them most significantly, while, in articular cartilage cells, the stimulation promoted cell proliferation, but did not enhance GAG synthesis. PEMF stimulation promoted cells treated with lidocaine more significantly than with other agents. These results present evidence that intermittent PEMF stimulation is more effective on both cell proliferation and GAG synthesis of cartilage cells than continuous stimulation, and that the stimulation could exert effects not by nucleus directly, but by the cellular membrane-dependent mechanism. This study provides further basic data to encourage the clinical application of PEMF stimulation on bone and cartilage disorders.
Résumé
Afin d'évaluer les effets de champs électromagnétiques vibratoires (CEMV) sur la prolifération cellulaire et la synthèse du glycosaminoglycan (GAG) et d'étudier le milieu d'action de la stimulation par CEMV dans les cellules, nous avons effectué une série d'expériences sur des cellules de cartilage de croissance de la côte du lapin et sur des cellules de cartilage articulaire humain en culture. Un stimulateur CEMV a été fabriqué en employant une bobine de Helmholz. Des courants électriques en salves pulsées répétitives, avec une largeur de salve de 76 ms, une largeur de pulsion de 230 μs et 6.4 Hz étaient envoyés à travers cette bobine. La force du champ électromagnétique atteignait 0.4 mT (tesla) en moyenne. Les synthèses de DNA et de GAG étaient mesurées par incorporation de thymidine H3 et d'acide sulfurique S35. Les effets sur les cellules traitées par la lidocaine, l'adriamycine et l'irradiation étaient aussi mesurés par un essai formant colonie. La stimulation CEMV d'une durée de 5 jours a favorisé et la prolifération cellulaire et la synthèse du GAG dans les cellules de cartilage de croissance. La stimulation intermittente (fonctionnant on non toutes les 12 heures) les a augmentées de façon encore plus significative. D'autre part, dans les cellules de cartilage articulaire, la stimulation a accéléré la prolifération des cellules; cependant, elle n'a pas augmenté la synthèse du GAG. La stimulation CEMV a favorisé les cellules traitées par la lidocaine de façon plus significative que celles traitées par d'autres agents. Ces résultats montrent de façon évidente que la stimulation intermittente CEMV est plus efficace, aussi bien pour la prolifération cellulaire que pour la synthèse de GAG de cellules de cartilage, que la stimulation continue; et que la stimulation pourrait exercer des effets non pas directement par le noyau, mais par le mécanisme dépendant de la membrane cellulaire. Cette étude apporte une nouvelle donnée de base pour encourager les applications cliniques de CEMV.
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Sakai, A., Suzuki, K., Nakamura, T. et al. Effects of pulsing electromagnetic fields on cultured cartilage cells. International Orthopaedics 15, 341–346 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00186874
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00186874