Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) does not affect the expression of a3, a5 and a7 nicotinic receptor subunit genes in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line

Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are involved in a no. of functional processes, including cognition, learning and memory, and alterations in their expression and/or activity have been implicated in various neurol. disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia. Epidemiol. studies have shown that exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) may contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Given the role of nAChRs in physiol. and pathol. conditions, we wondered whether an extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) may affect the expression of the mols. involved in neurodegenerative processes. In order to investigate this possibility, we studied the expression of a3, a5 and a7 nicotinic subunits upon exposure of the SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cell line to a 50 Hz power-line magnetic field in a \"blind trial\" system; various magnetic flux densities and exposure times were applied. Our studies show that the expression of some relevant components of the cholinergic nicotinic system, which is one of the most affected neurotransmission systems in AD, did not undergo any change at mol. level by environmental exposure to ELF-EMF.