Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and adenosine receptors modulate prostaglandin E2 and cytokine release in human osteoarthritic synovial fibroblasts

Synovial fibroblasts (SFs) contribute to the development of osteoarthritis (OA) by the secretion of a wide range of pro-inflammatory mediators, including cytokines and lipid mediators of inflammation. Previous studies suggest that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) may represent a potential therapeutic approach to limit cartilage degradation and control inflammation associated to OA, and that they may act through the adenosine pathway. Therefore, we investigated whether EMFs might modulate inflammatory activities of human SFs from OA patients (OASFs) treated with interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), and the possible involvement of adenosine receptors (ARs) in mediating EMF effects. EMF exposure induced a selective increase in A2A and A3 ARs. These increases were associated to changes in cAMP levels, indicating that ARs were functionally active also in EMF-exposed cells. Functional data obtained in the presence of selective A2A and A3 adenosine agonists and antagonists showed that EMFs inhibit the release of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8), while stimulating the release of interleukin-10 (IL-10), an antinflammatory cytokine. These effects seem to be mediated by the EMF-induced upregulation of A2A and A3 ARs. No effects of EMFs or ARs have been observed on matrix degrading enzyme production. In conclusion, this study shows that EMFs display anti-inflammatory effects in human OASFs, and that these EMF-induced effects are in part mediated by the adenosine pathway, specifically by the A2A and A3 AR activation. Taken together, these results open new clinical perspectives to the control of inflammation associated to joint diseases. J. Cell. Physiol. 227: 24612469, 2012. (c) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.