Basic Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2016. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. Oct 26, 2016; 8(10): 342-354
Published online Oct 26, 2016. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v8.i10.342
Model acupuncture point: Bone marrow-derived stromal stem cells are moved by a weak electromagnetic field
Artem N Emelyanov, Marina V Borisova, Vera V Kiryanova
Artem N Emelyanov, Laboratory of High Laser and Magnetic Technology, North-Western State Medical University, 191015 St. Petersburg, Russia
Marina V Borisova, Training Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, St. Petersburg State University, 198504 St. Petersburg, Russia
Vera V Kiryanova, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, North-Western State Medical University, 191015 St. Petersburg, Russia
Author contributions: Emelyanov AN designed the research; Emelyanov AN and Borisova MV performed the research; Emelyanov AN, Borisova MV and Kiryanova VV analyzed the data; Emelyanov AN and Kiryanova VV wrote the paper.
Institutional review board statement: The study was reviewed and approved by the North-Western State Medical University Institutional Review Board.
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: All procedures involving animals were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the North-Western State Medical University (IACUC protocol number: 6).
Conflict-of-interest statement: No conflict of interest exists.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Artem N Emelyanov, PhD, Senior Researcher, Laboratory of High Laser and Magnetic Technology, North-Western State Medical University, Kirochnaya street 41, 191015 St. Petersburg, Russia. ean-6868@mail.ru
Telephone: +7-964-3273960
Received: June 18, 2016
Peer-review started: June 21, 2016
First decision: July 4, 2016
Revised: July 23, 2016
Accepted: September 7, 2016
Article in press: September 8, 2016
Published online: October 26, 2016
Abstract
AIM

To show the existence of a structural formative role of magnetic fields (MFs) with respect to biological objects by using our proposed model of an acupoint.

METHODS

We introduced a magnetised 10-100 μT metal rod (needle) into culture dishes with a negatively charged working surface and observed during 24 h how cells were arranged by MFs and by electrical fields (EFs) when attached. Rat and human bone marrow-derived stromal stem cells (rBMSCs and hBMSCs), human nonadherent mononuclear blood cells, NCTCs and A172 cells, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) were evaluated. The dish containing BMSCs was defined as the model of an acupoint. rBMSCs proliferative activity affected by the needle was investigated. For investigating electromagnetic field structures, we used the gas discharge visualisation (GDV) method.

RESULTS

During 24 h of incubation in 50-mm culture dishes, BMSCs or the nonadherent cells accumulated into a central heap in each dish. BMSCs formed a torus (central ring) with an inner diameter of approximately 10 mm only upon the introduction of the needle in the centre of the dish. The cells did not show these effects in 35- or 90-mm culture dishes or hydrophobic dishes or rectangular cuvettes. NCTCs and A172 cells showed unstable the effects and only up to two weeks after thawing. Moreover, we observed that the appearance of these effects depended on the season. In winter, BMSCs showed no the effects. GDV experiments revealed that the resonant annular illumination gradually formed from 10 to 18-20 s in polar solutions with and without cell suspension of BMSCs, NCTCs and E. coli when using circular 50-mm dishes, stimulation at 115 V and switching of the electrode poles at 1 kHz. All these data demonstrate the resonant nature of the central ring. Significant influence of MFs on the rBMSC proliferation rate was not observed.

CONCLUSION

BMSCs can be moved by MFs when in the presence of a constant EF and MF, when the cells are in the responsive functional state, and when there is a resonant relationship between them.

Keywords: Stem cell movement, Magnetic targeting, Acupuncture, Model acupoint, Frizzled-related protein, Biology resonance, Cytoplasm movement, Glycocalyx

Core tip: On the basis of the literature, we propose the simplest possible model of an acupoint. This model that allowed us to move bone marrow-derived stromal stem cells (BMSCs) using magnetic fields (MFs) without any magnetised nanoparticles. This is a newly identified property of BMSCs, which may be involved in the formation, maintenance and regeneration of tissues and organs. The associated movements of BMSCs may occur via acupoints, and the meridian system may thus control the processes of structural regeneration and be the most ancient regulatory system. Not until the cells become MF amplifiers (resonators) can MFs move the cells. That is possible within our acupoint model.