https://www.geneticacupuncture.com/Kwang-Sup%20Soh-PIIS2005290109600418.pdf

Bonghan Circulatory System as an Extension of Acupuncture Meridians

Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) originating both from both natural and manmade sources permeate our environment. As people are continuously exposed to EMFs in everyday life, it is a matter of great debate whether they can be harmful to human health. On the basis of two decades of epidemiological studies, an increased risk for childhood leukemia associated with Extremely Low Frequency fields has been consistently assessed, inducing the International Agency for Research on Cancer to insert them in the 2B section of carcinogens in 2001. EMFs interaction with biological systems may cause oxidative stress under certain circumstances. Since free radicals are essential for brain physiological processes and pathological degeneration, research focusing on the possible influence of the EMFs-driven oxidative stress is still in progress, especially in the light of recent studies suggesting that EMFs may contribute to the etiology of neurodegenerative disorders. This review synthesizes the emerging evidences about this topic, highlighting the wide data uncertainty that still characterizes the EMFs effect on oxidative stress modulation, as both pro-oxidant and neuroprotective effects have been documented. Care should be taken to avoid methodological limitations and to determine the patho-physiological relevance of any alteration found in EMFs-exposed biological system.

https://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/ijcb/2012/683897.pdf

Electromagnetic fields, oxidative stress, and neurodegeneration.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) ubiquitously exist in mammalian cells to participate in various cellular signaling pathways. The intracellular ROS levels are dependent on the dynamic balance between ROS generation and elimination. In this review, we summarize reported studies about the influences of magnetic fields (MFs) on ROS levels. Although in most cases, MFs increased ROS levels in human, mouse, rat cells, and tissues, there are also studies showing that ROS levels were decreased or not affected by MFs. Multiple factors could cause these discrepancies, including but not limited to MF type/intensity/frequency, exposure time and assay time-point, as well as different biological samples examined. It will be necessary to investigate the influences of different MFs on ROS in various biological samples systematically and mechanistically, which will be helpful for people to get a more complete understanding about MF-induced biological effects. In addition, reviewing the roles of MFs in ROS modulation may open up new scenarios of MF application, which could be further and more widely adopted into clinical applications, particularly in diseases that ROS have documented pathophysiological roles.

Magnetic Fields and Reactive Oxygen Species

Extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic field (EMF) is thought to prolong the life of free radicals and can act as a promoter or co-promoter of cancer. 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG) is one of the predominant forms of radical-induced lesions to DNA and is a potential tool to asses the cancer risk. We examined the effects of extremely low frequency electro magnetic field (ELF-EMF) (50 Hz, 0.97 mT) on 8OHdG levels in DNA and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in plasma. To examine the possible time-dependent changes resulting from magnetic field, 8OHdG and TBARS were quantitated at 50 and 100 days. Our results showed that the exposure to ELF-EMF induced oxidative DNA damage and lipid peroxidation (LPO). The 8OHdG levels of exposed group (4.39+/-0.88 and 5.29+/-1.16 8OHdG/dG.10(5), respectively) were significantly higher than sham group at 50 and 100 days (3.02+/-0.63 and 3.46+/-0.38 8OHdG/dG.10(5)) (p<0.001, p<0.001). The higher TBARS levels were also detected in the exposure group both on 50 and 100 days (p<0.001, p<0.001). In addition, the extent of DNA damage and LPO would depend on the exposure time (p<0.05 and p<0.05). Our data may have important implications for the long-term exposure to ELF-EMF which may cause oxidative DNA damage.

Oxidative DNA damage in rats exposed to extremely low frequency electro magnetic fields

A cell’s ability to recognize and adapt to the physical environment is central to its survival and function, but how mechanical cues are perceived and transduced into intracellular signals remains unclear. In mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), high magnitude substrate strain (HMS, ≥2%) effectively suppresses adipogenesis via induction of FAK/mTORC2/Akt signaling generated at focal adhesions [1]. Physiologic systems also rely on a persistent barrage of low level signals to regulate behavior [2]. Exposing MSC to extremely low magnitude mechanical signals (LMS) suppresses adipocyte formation [3] despite the virtual absence of substrate strain (<0.001%) [2], suggesting that LMS-induced dynamic accelerations can generate force within the cell. Here we show that MSC response to LMS is enabled through mechanical coupling between the cytoskeleton and the nucleus, in turn activating focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and Akt signaling followed by FAK-dependent induction of RhoA. While LMS and HMS synergistically regulated FAK activity at the focal adhesions, LMS-induced actin remodeling was concentrated at the perinuclear domain. Preventing nuclear-actin cytoskeleton mechanocoupling by disrupting LINC (Linker of Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton) complexes inhibited these LMS-induced signals as well as prevented LMS repression of adipogenic differentiation, highlighting that LINC connections are critical for sensing LMS. In contrast, FAK activation by high magnitude strain (HMS) was unaffected by LINC decoupling, consistent with signal initiation at the focal adhesion (FA) mechanosome. These results indicate that the MSC responds to its dynamic physical environment not only with “outside-in” signaling initiated by substrate strain, but vibratory signals enacted through the LINC complex enable matrix independent “inside-inside” signaling.

Cell Mechanosensitivity to Extremely Low‐Magnitude Signals Is Enabled by a LINCed Nucleus

A staining method has been developed for in situ and in vivo observation of a threadlike tissue afloat inside the lymphatic vessels of rabbits without adherence to the vessel wall. The existence of this novel structure was not noticed previously because it is extremely difficult to detect it by microscopic inspection of lymphatic vessels. We have found a method that utilizes Janus Green B (JGB), which stained heavily the novel structure. The tissue was studied by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), light microscopy, and cryoscanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM). The CLSM image obtained by acridine orange staining of the novel tissue revealed its characteristic nuclei distribution: rod-shaped nuclei of 10-20 microm length aligned in a broken-line/striped fashion. Hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed the threadlike structure passing through a lymphatic valve as histologically distinct from lymphatic vessels and valves. The cryo-SEM image showed the threadlike structure inside a collapsed lymphatic vessel. There were spherical globular structures observable inside sinuses in a rapidly frozen sample, which suggests liquid flowing through the longitudinal ductules in the threadlike structure. The specific staining of the JGB suggests that these threadlike structures inside lymphatic vessels have a high density of mitochondria in their cells and/or nerve-like properties, either of which may provide important clues to their physiological function.

https://anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ar.b.20076

Novel threadlike structures (Bonghan ducts) inside lymphatic vessels of rabbits visualized with a Janus Green B staining method

A threadlike structure in blood vessels that is considered part of the Bohghan duct system was first reported about 40 years ago. This structure has remained elusive since then due to the inability of other researchers to duplicate the original identification. In this study we identified the characteristic features of this threadlike structure in rats by the use of fluorescent microscope imaging of nuclei stained by acridine orange perfusion. The nuclei of the tissue that comprises the structure are rod-shaped, 10–20 μm long, and aligned in a broken-line striped fashion. The novel technique reported here can differentiate the intravascular threadlike structure from the fibrin strings that normally form during perfusion and can confound the observation procedure. The physiological function of the threadlike structure remains to be elucidated; however, further study may provide a new understanding of mammalian biology in general, and of acupuncture and Oriental medicine in particular. Anat Rec (Part B: New Anat) 278B:27–30, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Acridine orange staining method to reveal the characteristic features of an intravascular threadlike structure

Among the putative mechanisms, by which extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic field (MF) may affect biological systems is that of increasing free radical life span in organisms. To test this hypothesis, we investigated whether ELF (60 Hz) MF can modulate antioxidant system in mouse brain by detecting chemiluminescence and measuring superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in homogenates of the organ. Compared to sham exposed control group, lucigenin-initiated chemiluminescence in exposed group was not significantly increased. However, lucigenin-amplified t-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP)-initiated brain homogenates chemiluminescence, was significantly increased in mouse exposed to 60 Hz, MF, 12 G for 3 h compared to sham exposed group. We also measured SOD activity, that plays a critical role of the antioxidant defensive system in brain. In the group exposed to 60 Hz, MF, 12 G for 3 h, brain SOD activity was significantly increased. These results suggest that 60 Hz, MF could deteriorate antioxidant defensive system by reactive oxygen species (ROS), other than superoxide radicals. Further studies are needed to identify the kind of ROS generated by the exposure to 60 Hz, MF and elucidate how MF can affect biological system in connection with oxidative stress.

Effects of extremely low frequency magnetic field on the antioxidant defense system in mouse brain: a chemiluminescence study.

Low-magnitude high-frequency (LMHF) vibrations have the ability to stimulate bone formation and reduce bone loss. However, the anabolic mechanisms that are mediated by vibration in human bone cells at the cellular level remain unclear. We hypothesized that human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) display direct osteoblastic responses to LMHF vibration signals. Daily exposure to vibrations increased the proliferation of hMSCs, with the highest efficiency occurring at a peak acceleration of 0.3 g and vibrations at 30 to 40 Hz. Specifically, these conditions promoted osteoblast differentiation through an increase in alkaline phosphatase activity and in vitro matrix mineralization. The effect of vibration on the expression of osteogenesis-related factors differed depending on culture method. hMSCs that underwent vibration in a monolayer culture did not exhibit any changes in the expressions of these genes, while cells in three-dimensional culture showed increased expression of type I collagen, osteoprotegerin,...

Byung-Cheon Lee

Papers

Novel threadlike structures (Bonghan ducts) inside lymphatic vessels of rabbits visualized with a Janus Green B staining method

Acridine orange staining method to reveal the characteristic features of an intravascular threadlike structure

Effects of extremely low frequency magnetic field on the antioxidant defense system in mouse brain: a chemiluminescence study.

Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells are Mechanosensitive to Vibration Stimuli

Visualizing the network of Bonghan ducts in the omentum and peritoneum by using Trypan blue.