Potential protection of green tea polyphenols against 1800 MHz electromagnetic radiation-induced injury on rat cortical neurons

Neurotox Res. 2011 Oct;20(3):270-6. doi: 10.1007/s12640-011-9240-4. Epub 2011 Feb 4.

Abstract

Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) are harmful to public health, but the certain anti-irradiation mechanism is not clear yet. The present study was performed to investigate the possible protective effects of green tea polyphenols against electromagnetic radiation-induced injury in the cultured rat cortical neurons. In this study, green tea polyphenols were used in the cultured cortical neurons exposed to 1800 MHz EMFs by the mobile phone. We found that the mobile phone irradiation for 24 h induced marked neuronal cell death in the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide) and TUNEL (TdT mediated biotin-dUTP nicked-end labeling) assay, and protective effects of green tea polyphenols on the injured cortical neurons were demonstrated by testing the content of Bcl-2 Assaciated X protein (Bax) in the immunoprecipitation assay and Western blot assay. In our study results, the mobile phone irradiation-induced increases in the content of active Bax were inhibited significantly by green tea polyphenols, while the contents of total Bax had no marked changes after the treatment of green tea polyphenols. Our results suggested a neuroprotective effect of green tea polyphenols against the mobile phone irradiation-induced injury on the cultured rat cortical neurons.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / radiation effects
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cerebral Cortex / cytology*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation
  • Electromagnetic Radiation*
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation / radiation effects
  • HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / metabolism
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • In Situ Nick-End Labeling
  • Indoles
  • Neurons / drug effects*
  • Neurons / radiation effects*
  • Neuroprotective Agents / pharmacology*
  • Polyphenols / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein / metabolism

Substances

  • HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins
  • Indoles
  • Neuroprotective Agents
  • Polyphenols
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein
  • DAPI