Purpose: Due to its role in learning, memory and in many neurodegenerative diseases, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) represents an interesting endpoint to assess possible targets of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) generated by mobile phones. We investigated possible alterations of enzymatic activity, gene and protein expression of AChE in neuronal-like cells exposed to a 1.8 GHz Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) modulated signal (217-GSM).
Materials and methods: Rat PC12 cells were exposed for 24 h to 1.8 GHz 217-GSM signal. Specific adsorption rate (SAR) was 2 W/kg. AChE enzyme activity was assessed spectrophotometrically by Ellman's method, mRNA expression level was evaluated by real time polymerase chain reaction, and protein expression was assessed by Western blotting.
Results: AChE enzymatic activity increased of 1.4-fold in PC12 cells exposed to 217-GSM signal for 24 h, whilst AChE transcriptional or translational pathways were not affected.
Conclusion: Our results provide the first evidence of effects on AChE activity after in vitro exposure of mammalian cells to the RF-EMF generated by GSM mobile phones, at the SAR value 2 W/kg. The obtained evidence promotes further investigations on AChE as a possible target of RF-EMF and confirm the ability of 1.8 GHz 217-GSM signal to induce biological effects in different mammalian cells.
Keywords: 217-GSM signal; acetylcholinesterase activity; acetylcholinesterase gene and protein expression.