Diatom response to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields.

Reports that extremely low-frequency magnetic fields can interfere with normal biological cell function continue to stimulate experimental activity as well as investigations into the possible mechanism of the interaction. The "cyclotron resonance" model of Liboff has been tested by Smith et al. (Bioelectromagnetics 8, 215-227, 1987) using as the biological test system the diatom Amphora coffeiformis. They report enhanced motility of the diatom in response to a low-frequency electromagnetic field tuned to the cyclotron resonance condition for calcium ions. We report here an attempt to reproduce their results. Following their protocol diatoms were seeded onto agar plates containing varying amounts of calcium and exposed to colinear DC and AC magnetic fields tuned to the cyclotron resonant condition for frequencies of 16, 30, and 60 Hz. The fractional motility was compared with that of control plates seeded at the same time from the same culture. We find no evidence of a cyclotron resonance effect.

Effects of steady electric fields on human retinal pigment epithelial cell orientation and migration in culture.

Low-level, steady electric fields of 6-10 volts/cm stimulated directional orientation and translocation of cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells. The orientative movements (galvanotropism) consisted of somatic elongation of the cells into spindle shapes, followed by pivotal alignment orthogonal to the field. The anodal edges of the cells underwent retraction of their plasmalemmal extensions, while the cathode edges and the longitudinal ends developed lamellipodia and ruffled membranes. These tropic movements were followed by a translocational movement (galvanotaxis) of the cells towards the cathode. Staining of these migrating cells for actin showed the accumulation of stress fibers at the leading (cathodal) edge, as well as at the longitudinal ends of the elongated somata. These results suggest that endogenous, biologically-generated electric fields (eg., injury currents) may play a role in the guidance and migration of retinal pigment epithelial cells after retinal injury.

Movements of cultured corneal epithelial cells and stromal fibroblasts in electric fields.

The effects of an externally applied direct-current electric field on the movement of cultured rabbit corneal epithelial cells and stromal fibroblasts were studied. After a latency of approximately 20 minutes in an electric field, both epithelial cells and stromal fibroblasts became spindle shaped and underwent galvanotropism by aligning their long axes perpendicular to the applied electric field. The electric field stimulus thresholds for galvanotropic movements in epithelial cells and stromal fibroblasts were 4V/cm and 6 V/cm, respectively. After an additional latency of 30 minutes, both cell types manifested galvanotaxic movements: epithelial cells commenced migration in the cathodal (downfield) direction and stromal fibroblasts in the anodal (upfield) direction. For both types of cells, ruffled membranes and lamellipodia were abundant at the leading edges of migrating cells and cell processes underwent retraction at the trailing edges. At field strengths of above 10 V/cm, evidence of cellular damage (manifested by cellular rounding and detachment), attributable to the electric field treatment, was observed after 4 hours. These preliminary results suggest that galvanotaxic responses could be exploited clinically in the enhancement of corneal wound healing.

Effects of electric fields on cytoskeleton of corneal stromal fibroblasts.

Low-level, steady electric fields (6-10 volts/cm) stimulated cultured corneal stromal fibroblasts to undergo directional orientation and translocation. The orientative movements (galvanotropism) consisted of somatic elongation of the cells into spindle shapes along an imaginary axis perpendicular to the field; the cathodal edge of the cell underwent retraction, while the anodal edge and the longitudinal ends developed ruffled membranes and lamellipodia. The translocational movements (galvanotaxis) consisted of directed migration of the cells towards the anode. While most actin-containing stress fibers became aligned along the long axes of the elongated fibroblasts (with distal ends of the stress fibers terminating at the longitudinal extremes of the cells), some were aligned towards the anodal direction (with distal terminations inside ruffled membranes and lamellipodia on the leading anodal edge of cells). The distal ends of stress fibers were associated with discrete foci of vinculin, ie, focal indicators of cell-to-substrate adhesion; these foci were abundant at the longitudinal ends and at the anodal edge of the elongated cells. The observed cytoskeletal changes are consistent with an active, rather than passive, directed migration of stromal fibroblasts in response to constant electric fields.