Effect of 10.5 GHz CW radiofrequency radiation exposure on normal and prostate cancer cell morphology

We setup an X-band (10.525 GHz) low photon energy (0.04 meV) irradiation apparatus and exposed 4 sets of prostate cancer cells. The objectives of this project were to elucidate the effect of low radiofrequency radiation (RFR) on prostate cancer (PCa) cell metabolic activity and cell signaling. Transformed-immortalized human prostate cell line RWPE-2 cells and prostates cancer (PCa) cell lines PC3, LNCaP (Caucasian origin), or MDAPCa-2B (African American origin) were exposed for 2h with RFR (10.525 GHz), and cells were further grown for 16h at 37°C. The effect of RFR on cell morphology and the effect of RFR on prostate cancer AKT/mTOR oncogenic signaling pathways and oncogene TNFAIP8 expression was analyzed. Results suggest that no major morphological changes were observed when cells exposed with RFR. Whereas, RFR exposure increased expression of phosphorylation of serine 2448 of mammalian target of rapamycin (pS2448-mTOR) in RWPE2 and MDA-PCa2B cells and phosphorylation of serine 473 of AKT kinase (pS473-AKT) in LNCaP and PC3 cells.