The effects of extremely low frequency pulsed electromagnetic field on biochemical properties of the prostate cancer cell line, DU-145

In the recent decades, there has been an increasing effort to study possible biological effects of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs). In this study, the effects of 50 Hz, 0.6 mT pulsed electromagnetic field on proliferation and biochemical properties, in a prostate cancer cell line, DU-145, and the simultaneous treatment of these cells with electromagnetic field and anticancer drug, berberine, were explored Control and treated cells were seeded in separate plate dishes and cell proliferation, concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS), survivin expression and DNA damage were studied by MTT assay, Fluorescence spectrometry, Western blotting and Comet assay, respectively. Our results showed a significant increment in cell proliferation and intracellular concentration of ROS after 24-72 hours of continuous exposure to the field. The treatment did not affect the expression level of the cancer biomarker, survivin, but acted as a genotoxic agent and increased DNA single and double strand damages. The results also showed that continuous exposure to the applied field does not have any effect on the cytotoxic activity of berberine in DU-145 cells. On the whole, it seems that the studied electromagnetic field acts as a tumor promoter in this cell line, possibly through induction of oxidative stress and DNA damage.