The effect of exposure to radiofrequency LTE signal and coexposure to mitomycin-C in Chinese hamster lung fibroblast V79 cells

This study aims to investigate the cellular effects of radiofrequency exposure,1950 MHz, long-term evolution (LTE) signal, administered alone and incombination with mitomycin-C (MMC), a well-known cytotoxic agent.Chinese hamster lung fibroblast (V79) cells were exposed/sham exposed ina waveguide-based system under strictly controlled conditions of bothelectromagnetic and environmental parameters, at specific absorption rate(SAR) of 0.3 and 1.25 W/kg. Chromosomal damage (micronuclei formation),oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species [ROS] formation), and cell cycleprogression were analyzed after exposure and coexposure. No differencesbetween exposed samples and sham-controls were detected followingradiofrequency exposure alone, for all the experimental conditions testedand biological endpoints investigated. When radiofrequency exposure wasfollowed by MMC treatment, 3 h pre-exposure did not modify MMC-inducedmicronuclei. Pre-exposure of 20 h at 0.3 W/kg did not modify the number ofmicronuclei induced by MMC, while 1.25 W/kg resulted in a significantreduction of MMC-induced damage. Absence of effects was also detectedwhen CW was used, at both SAR levels. MMC-induced ROS formationresulted significantly decreased at both SAR levels investigated, while cellproliferation and cell cycle progression were not affected by coexposures.The results here reported provide no evidence of direct effects of 1950 MHz,LTE signal. Moreover, they further support our previous findings on thecapability of radiofrequency pre-exposure to induce protection from asubsequent toxic treatment, and the key role of the modulated signals and theexperimental conditions adopted in eliciting the effect.