Inhibition of mitochondrial calcium uptake by Ru360 enhances the effect of 1800 MHz radio-frequency electromagnetic fields on DNA damage

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety 2023-10, Vol.264, p.115472-115472, Article 115472
• Main Authors: Sun, Chuan, Zhu, Longtao, Qin, Houbing, Su, Huili, Zhang, Jing, Wang, Sanying, Xu, Xiaogang, Zhao, Zhenlei, Mao, Genxiang, Chen, Jun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Calcium; DNA damage; Mitochondria; Radio-frequency electromagnetic fields; Ruthenium 360
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115472

Today, the existence of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) emitted from cell phones, wireless routers, base stations, and other sources are everywhere around our living environment, and the dose is increasing. RF-EMF have been reported to be cytotoxic and supposed to be a risk factor for various human diseases, thus, more attention is necessary. In recent years, interfere with mitochondrial calcium uptake by using mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) inhibitor were suggested to be potential clinical treatment in mitochondrial calcium overload diseases, like neurodegeneration, ischemia/reperfusion injury, and cancer, but whether this approach increases the health risk of RF-EMF exposure are unknown. To address our concern, we did a preliminary study to determine whether inhibition of MCU will increase the genotoxicity of RF-EMF exposure in cells, and found that short-time (15 min) exposure to 1800 MHz RF-EMF induced significant DNA damage and cell apoptosis in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) treated with Ruthenium 360 (Ru360), a specific inhibitor of MCU, but no significant effects on cell cycle, cell proliferation, or cell viability were observed. In conclusion, our results indicated that inhibiting MCU increases the genotoxicity of RF-EMF exposure, and more attention needs to be paid to the possible health impact of RF-EMF exposure under these treatments. [Display omitted] •Ru360, a specific inhibitor of MCU, enhanced the DNA damage effect of short-time (15 min) exposure to1800 MHz RF-EMF.•ATP synthesis play a role in cellular resistance to 1800 MHz RF-EMF short-time exposure on DNA damage.•DNA damage induced by 1800 MHz RF-EMF in Ru360 treated cells were quickly repaired within 1 h after exposure.