proteomic analysis of the effect of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (elf-emf) with different intensities in sh-sy5y neuroblastoma cell line

introduction: during the last 3 decades, human is exposed to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (elf-emf) emitted by power lines and electronic devices. it is now well accepted that elf-emf are able to produce a variety of biological effects, although the molecular mechanism is unclear and controversial. investigation of different intensities effects of 50 hz elf-emf on cell morphology and protein expression is the aim of this study. methods: sh-sy5y human neuroblastoma cell line was exposed to 0.5 and 1 mt 50 hz (elf-emf) for 3 hours. proteomics techniques were used to determine the effects of these fields on protein expression. bioinformatic and statistical analysis of proteomes were performed using progensis samespots software. results: our results showed that exposure to elf-emf changes cell morphology and induces a dose-dependent decrease in the proliferation rate of the cells. the proteomic studies and bioinformatic analysis indicate that exposure to 50 hz elf-emf leads to alteration of cell protein expression in both dose-dependent and intensity dependent manner, but the later is more pronounced. conclusion: our data suggests that increased intensity of elf-emf may be associated with more alteration in cell protein expression, as well as effect on cell morphology and proliferation.