Department of Medical Biotechnology (BK21 Plus team), Dongguk University, Goyang-si 10326, Korea.
Department of Electric and Electrical Engineering, Institute for Information Technology Convergence, Hankyong National University, Anseong-si 17579, Korea.
Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Oct 11;18(10):2120. doi: 10.3390/ijms18102120.
This study evaluated frequency-dependent effects of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) on melanogenesis by melanocytes in vitro. Melanocytes were exposed to 2 mT EMFs at 30-75 Hz for 3 days before melanogenesis was examined. Exposure to ELF-EMFs at 50 and 60 Hz induced melanogenic maturation without cell damage, without changing cell proliferation and mitochondrial activity. Melanin content and tyrosinase activity of cells exposed to 50 Hz were higher than in controls, and mRNA expression of tyrosinase-related protein-2 was elevated relative to controls at 50 Hz. Phosphorylated cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein (p-CREB) levels were higher than controls in cells exposed to ELF-EMFs at 50-75 Hz. Immunohistochemical staining showed that melanocyte-specific markers (HMB45, Melan-A) were strongly expressed in cells exposed to EMFs at 50 and 60 Hz compared to controls. Thus, exposure to ELF-EMFs at 50 Hz could stimulate melanogenesis in melanocytes, through activation of p-CREB and p-p38 and inhibition of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase and phosphorylated stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase. The results may form the basis of an appropriate anti-gray hair treatment or be applied in a therapeutic device for inducing repigmentation in the skin of vitiligo patients.
这项研究评估了体外黑素细胞中极低频电磁场（ELF-EMF）对黑色素生成的频率依赖性影响。在研究黑色素生成之前，将黑素细胞暴露于 2 mT EMF 下 3 天，频率为 30-75 Hz。暴露于 50 和 60 Hz 的 ELF-EMF 诱导了黑色素生成成熟，而不会造成细胞损伤，也不会改变细胞增殖和线粒体活性。暴露于 50 Hz 的细胞中的黑色素含量和酪氨酸酶活性高于对照组，并且与对照组相比，50 Hz 时酪氨酸酶相关蛋白-2 的 mRNA 表达升高。暴露于 50-75 Hz 的 ELF-EMF 下的细胞中的磷酸化环腺苷酸反应元件结合蛋白（p-CREB）水平高于对照组。免疫组织化学染色显示，与对照组相比，暴露于 50 和 60 Hz 的 EMF 下的黑素细胞特异性标志物（HMB45、Melan-A）表达更强。因此，暴露于 50 Hz 的 ELF-EMF 可以通过激活 p-CREB 和 p-p38 以及抑制磷酸化细胞外信号调节蛋白激酶和磷酸化应激激活蛋白激酶/c-Jun N-末端激酶来刺激黑素细胞中的黑色素生成。这些结果可能为适当的抗白发治疗提供基础，或应用于治疗白癜风患者皮肤复色的治疗设备中。
