Effects of extremely low frequency magnetic fields on NGF induced neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells

Extremely low‐frequency magnetic fields (ELF‐MFs) affect various cellular processes and systems, such as cell proliferation, differentiation and metabolic pathways. The present study investigated ELF‐MFs effect on nerve growth factor (NGF) induced neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells using proteomic applications to understand its role in the enhancement of neuronal differentiation. After 50 Hz, 1 mT ELF‐MFs 5‐day exposure on NGF induced PC12 cells, it was observed to increase neurite length as well as an increase in the number of neurite bearing cells. It was also discovered that there was a decrease in proliferation activity, which is associated with an increase in differentiated cells. Neuronal differentiation related mRNA levels and protein levels were increased in NGF induced PC12 cells. Compared with NGF induced group, ELF‐MFs stimulated PC12 cells had different protein expression as measured with two‐dimensional electrophoresis (2‐DE) gels. Consequently six differentially expressed spots were detected between the 2‐DE maps, which were identified by electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry (ESI‐Q‐TOF LC/MS/MS) as: peripherin, neurosecretory protein nerve growth factor inducible (VGF8a) precursor, dnaK‐type molecular chaperone sp72‐ps1 (HSP72‐psI), low molecular weight (Mr) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase isoenzyme AcP1 (LMW‐PTP/ACP1), Tubulin alpha‐1A (TUBA1A) chain, outcome predictor in acute leukemia 1 homolog (OPA1L). The identification of these proteins provides clues to the mechanism of ELF‐MFs stimulation on NGF induced PC12 cells that occur during neuronal differentiation and may contribute to the development novel treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. Bioelectromagnetics. 35:459–469, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.