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Low Frequency Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Affects Proliferation, Tissue-Specific Gene Expression, and Cytokines Release of Human Tendon Cells

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Abstract

Low frequency pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) has proven to be effective in the modulation of bone and cartilage tissue functional responsiveness, but its effect on tendon tissue and tendon cells (TCs) is still underinvestigated. PEMF treatment (1.5 mT, 75 Hz) was assessed on primary TCs, harvested from semitendinosus and gracilis tendons of eight patients, under different experimental conditions (4, 8, 12 h). Quantitative PCR analyses were conducted to identify the possible effect of PEMF on tendon-specific gene transcription (scleraxis, SCX and type I collagen, COL1A1); the release of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was also assessed. Our findings show that PEMF exposure is not cytotoxic and is able to stimulate TCs’ proliferation. The increase of SCX and COL1A1 in PEMF-treated cells was positively correlated to the treatment length. The release of anti-inflammatory cytokines in TCs treated with PEMF for 8 and 12 h was significantly higher in comparison with untreated cells, while the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines was not affected. A dramatically higher increase of VEGF-A mRNA transcription and of its related protein was observed after PEMF exposure. Our data demonstrated that PEMF positively influence, in a dose-dependent manner, the proliferation, tendon-specific marker expression, and release of anti-inflammatory cytokines and angiogenic factor in a healthy human TCs culture model.

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Acknowledgments

The Authors thank Dr. Arianna Lovati, Dr. Pietro Romeo, Mrs. Jocelyn Serfontein and Dr. Gabriele Thiebat for their precious help in this study. The study has been partially supported by IGEA SpA, Clinical Biophysics, Carpi (Italy) and by the Italian Ministry of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Orthopaedic Biotechnologies Lab, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Via R. Galeazzi, 4, 20161, Milan, Italy

    L. de Girolamo, D. Stanco, E. Galliera & M. Viganò

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Chirurgiche ed Odontoiatriche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

    E. Galliera

  3. Laboratory of Experimental Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy

    A. Colombini

  4. IGEA SpA, Clinical Biophysics, Carpi, Italy

    S. Setti

  5. Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

    E. Vianello, M. M. Corsi Romanelli & V. Sansone

  6. Orthopaedic Department, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy

    V. Sansone

  7. IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy

    M. M. Corsi Romanelli

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  1. L. de Girolamo
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de Girolamo, L., Stanco, D., Galliera, E. et al. Low Frequency Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Affects Proliferation, Tissue-Specific Gene Expression, and Cytokines Release of Human Tendon Cells. Cell Biochem Biophys 66, 697–708 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12013-013-9514-y

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