Effects of in vitro electrical stimulation on enhancement and suppression of malignant lymphoma cell proliferation.

The suppression and enhancement of proliferation of mouse EL4 lymphoma cells varied significantly when the cells were electrically stimulated within a narrow range of low-level direct current. With the use of platinum electrodes, the suppression characteristics were observed over a narrow range, or window, of direct currents centered at approximately 17 microA. Enhancement characteristics were observed over a broad range of low-level direct currents (approximately 0.1 to 10 microA). These results indicate that the proliferation of certain eukaryotic cells may be directly controlled by stimulation with low-level direct current.