Event: Biomedical Engineering Seminar Featuring: Dr. Carlos Martino Date: August 29, 2014 Time: 12:00 – 12:50 P.M. Location: Crawford Room 220 Biological systems: do magnetic fields matter? Abstract: Although the biological effect of magnetic fields is a longstanding problem, the biophysical mechanism of interaction is not well known. Both theoretical and experimental techniques were used to investigate magnetic field effects in biological systems. Efforts concentrate on determining relevant magnetic field factors to probe the underlying molecular mechanisms that are sensitive to magnetic fields. The effects of RF fields were investigated on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from intracellular superoxide (O2•-) and extracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in vitro in rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells. A decrease in O2•- and an increase in H2O2 concentrations were observed in the presence of the RF fields. We proposed that O2•- and H2O2 production in metabolic processes occur through singlet-triplet modulation of semiquinone flavin (FADH•) enzymes and O2•- spin-correlated radical pairs. RF flavin hyperfine decoupling results in an increase of H2O2 singlet state products, which creates cellular oxidative stress and acts as a secondary messenger that affects cellular proliferation. This study demonstrates the interplay between O2•- and H2O2 production influenced by RF fields and underscores the subtle effects of low-frequency magnetic fields on oxidative metabolism, ROS signaling, and cellular growth. Current efforts are underway to corroborate theoretical models with experimental results. Overall, this work includes biomedical applications in areas of biotechnology as a therapeutic tool for treatments of neurodegenerative disorders, aids in vascularization, and military applications in traumatic brain injury and inflammation.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 17:11:48 +0000
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