EFFECT OF A BIORESONANCE DEVICE ON VIABILITY AND METABOLIC ACTIVITY IN HUMAN UMBILICAL VENOUS ENDOTHELIAL CELLS

ABSTRACT The present study was aimed at evaluating the effects of the bioresonance (BR)-based device QDOME MINI PERSONAL, produced by the society QMED SWISS SA (Lugano, CH), on the viability and mitochondrial metabolic activity of cultured human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVEC). To this end, HUVEC were cultured under standard conditions and exposed for 24 h to an “active” or to a mock BR device, in resting conditions and during treatment with H 2 O 2 at the concentration of 500 μM, added at the beginning of the 24 h period. The personnel who performed the experiments, collected, and analysed the data was unaware of which device was “active” and which was mock. At the end of the culture, HUVEC were harvested and evaluated for viability and mitochondrial metabolic activity by means of the Trypan Blue exclusion and the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H tetrazolium bromide reduction method, respectively. Under control conditions, viability and mitochondrial metabolic activity were not different in HUVEC exposed to the “active” or to the mock device. HUVEC viability, however, was significantly reduced by exposure to H 2 O 2 in samples exposed to the mock device but not in those exposed to the “active” device. HUVEC mitochondrial metabolic activity was significantly reduced by exposure to H 2 O 2 in both samples exposed to the “active” and to the mock device, however reduction was significantly less in samples exposed to the “active” device. In conclusion, exposure to the BR-based device QDOME MINI PERSONAL, produced by the society QMED SWISS SA (Lugano, CH), prevented the H 2 O 2 -induced reduction of viability and reduced the H 2 O 2 -induced impairment of mitochondrial metabolic activity in cultured HUVEC.