Enhancement in the ATP level and antioxidant capacity ofCaenorhabditis elegansunder continuous exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field for multiple generations

Purpose Safety concerns about the effects of long-term extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) exposure on human health have been raised. To explore the effects of continuous exposure to ELF-EMF on organisms for multiple generations, we selectedCaenorhabditis elegansas a model organism and conducted long-term continuous exposure studies for multiple generations under 20 degrees C, 50 Hz, and 3 mT ELF-EMF. Materials and methods Each generation of worms was treated with ELF-EMF from the egg in the same environment. After long-term exposure to ELF-EMF, the body length of the worms was detected, and 15th generation adult worms were selected as the research object. The ATP level and ATPase were detected, and the expression levels of genes encoding ATP synthase (r53.4, hpo-18, atp-5, unc-32, atp-3) were detected by RT-PCR. In worm's antioxidant system, the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected by dichlorofluorescein staining, and the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity were investigated. The expression of genes encoding superoxide dismutase (sod-1, sod-2, sod-3) was detected in adult (60 h) worms of the fifteenth generation (F15). Results These results showed that the body length of F15 worms increased significantly, ATP content increased significantly, ATP synthase activity was significantly enhanced, and the expression levels of ther53.4, hpo-18, atp-5, andatp-3genes encoding ATPase were significantly upregulated in F15 worms. In addition, SOD activity increased significantly, and the expression levels of thesod-1, sod-2,andsod-3genes encoding SOD were also significantly upregulated in F15 worms. Conclusions These results indicated that continuous exposure to 50 Hz, 3 mT ELF-EMF for multiple generations can increase the body length of worms, induce the synthesis of ATP and enhance the antioxidant capacity of worms.