Calcium spiking activity and baseline calcium levels in ROS 17/2.8 cells exposed to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF EMF)

Purpose: To determine whether extremely low frequency electromagnetic field s can alter average free cytosolic calcium ion concentrations [Ca2+](i) and transient increases in [Ca2+](i) in populations of ROS 17/2.8 cells. Materials and methods: Cells loaded with the calcium-selective luminescent photoprotein, acquorin, were placed in the bottom of a sample chamber, whic h was inserted into the gap of a previously described air gap reactor syste m where they were exposed either to sinusoidal magnetic fields at a variety of frequencies and flux densities or to sham conditions. Real-time recordi ngs of photon counts due to acquorin luminescence were obtained and data we re analysed with the use of probit plots. Results: Probit plots of data obtained from cells exposed to the various ma gnetic fields were virtually superimposable over the data obtained for the same cultures during pre- and post-exposure sham or no-field periods. Conclusion: These experiments provided no evidence for any effects of ELF E MF, either positive or negative, on either average [Ca2+](i) or on transien t increases in [Ca2+](i).