Reaction-diffusion modeling suggests a novel amplification mechanism for the extremely-low frequency magnetic field bioeffects

There have been a growing number of researches indicating the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as amediating agent for the observed effect of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) onliving organisms. Here we propose a mechanism to explain how interactions with energy dozens ofmagnitudes below kBT are not being masked by thermal noise.Grounded on the previously discovered phenomenon of “Radical Pair Mechanism”, first, we introduce ascheme that suggests how applying a low-intensity magnetic field of the order of a few tens of milliTeslascan alter the superoxide production rate at Qo site of mitochondrial cytochrome bc۱. Our proposal is wellbackedby a recent experimental finding that indicates changes in mitochondrial electron transport chain ROSproduction under the effect of magnetic fields.Next, using a reaction-diffusion model previously developed for the simulation of the observed oscillation ofROS level in myocytes, we show how the mentioned superoxide production change can raise the wholecellular ROS level via amplification. Mitochondrial ROS production level is generally escalated in cancerouscells through mutations which in turn can contribute to the transformation of healthy cells into tumors. Theresults of the model reveal how an alternating magnetic field can amplify the change in superoxide productionin such cells via two modes: Either by inducing a whole cellular ROS oscillation in the case of the cells withborderline mitochondrial ROS level or by synchronizing the mitochondria in the cells with asynchronousmitochondrial ROS oscillation through a resonance effect.Finally, the proposed model is in good agreement with our recent experimental fluorescence microscopystudy in which we observed frequency-dependent changes in both mitochondrial membrane potential andROS level under the effect of alternating magnetic fields. Also, the observed bimodal responses of thedifferent cell lines provide further support for our novel mechanism.

کلیدواژه ها:

Reaction-diffusion Modeling ، Amplification ، Reactive Oxygen Species ، ELF Magnetic Field ، Radical Pair Mechanism