Direction-Dependent Effects of Combined Static and ELF Magnetic Fields on Cell Proliferation and Superoxide Radical Production.

Jonne Naarala,Carlos F Martino,Kavindra Kumar Kesari,Ian Mcclure,Jukka Juutilainen,Cristina Chavarriaga

doi:10.1155/2017/5675086

Abstract

Proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells was stimulated by a nearly vertical 60 or 120 μT static magnetic field (MF) in comparison to cells that were shielded against MFs. When the static field was combined with an extremely low frequency (ELF) MF (18 Hz, 30 μT), proliferation was suppressed by a horizontal but not by a vertical ELF field. As these results suggested that the effects of an ELF MF depend on its direction in relation to the static MF, independent experiments were carried out to confirm such dependence using 50 Hz MFs and a different experimental model. Cytosolic superoxide level in rat glioma C6 cells exposed in the presence of a nearly vertical 33 μT static MF was increased by a horizontal 50 Hz, 30 μT MF, but not affected by a vertical 50 Hz MF. The results suggest that a weak ELF MF may interact with the static geomagnetic field in producing biological effects, but the effect depends on the relative directions of the static and ELF MFs.

Highlights

Low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields (MF) have been classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” [1], mainly based on rather consistent epidemiological evidence suggesting an association between power line extremely low frequency (ELF) EMFs and childhood leukemia
The results suggest that a weak ELF MF may interact with the static geomagnetic field in producing biological effects, but the effect depends on the relative directions of the static and ELF MFs
Burda et al [4] reported that the alignment of grazing and resting cattle and deer was disrupted by power lines, and the disruption was affected by the relative directions of the static geomagnetic field and the alternating MF from the power lines

Summary

Introduction

Low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields (MF) have been classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” [1], mainly based on rather consistent epidemiological evidence suggesting an association between power line ELF EMFs and childhood leukemia. The epidemiological associations have been reported at very low magnetic field levels (0.3–0.4 μT), but the causality of these associations is not clear, and there are no generally accepted mechanisms for effects from such weak MFs. Several animal species are able to detect the geomagnetic field and changes in it for the purposes of orientation and navigation. Several animal species are able to detect the geomagnetic field and changes in it for the purposes of orientation and navigation Such animal magnetoreception is believed to be based on MF effects on radical pair reactions [2] and/or on biogenic magnetite particles [3]. They concluded that such oscillations can be transduced by both radical pair-based and at least certain iron mineral-based mechanisms

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Results

Conclusion