Combined Effect Of Co-Exposure To Di (2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalates And 50-Hz Magnetic-Fields On Promoting Human Amniotic Cells Proliferation

Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) exist far and wide in our surroundings. Studies have reported that both of DEHP and ELF-EMFs could promote cell proliferation which is related with adverse bioeffects. In this study, we investigated whether there is the combined effect between DEHP and 50-Hz magnetic fields (MFs) on cell proliferation in human amniotic (FL) cells. Results revealed that the low-concentration DEHP (1 mu M) could promote FL cell proliferation, whereas the high-dose DEHP (100 mu M) inhibited cell proliferation. When FL cells were treated jointly by a 50-Hz, 0.2-mT MF and 0.1 mu M DEHP, the proliferation rate of cells was significantly higher than that of single factor exposure. Additionally, co-exposure to under-threshold MF and DEHP could cooperatively activate protein kinase B (Akt), sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) and extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) in a cascade manner, and finally mediate cell proliferation. Taken together, the findings of this study indicated that the co-exposure to under threshold MF and DEHP could jointly promote cell proliferation through activating proliferation-related signal pathway, which warned us that it should be cautious about assessing the underlying health hazards of co exposure to MFs and DEHP at under-threshold levels.