Abstract
Hypo-magnetic fields (HMFs) are static magnetic fields that are significantly weaker than the geomagnetic field and are found in interplanetary space, on Mars, and the Moon. Understanding the mechanism of the biological effects of HMFs is an important topic in magnetobiology. Human physiology studies have shown that HMFs cause various adverse health effects such as increased blood pressure and blood flow rate. Previous studies on the effects of HMFs on cells revealed a variety of effects, such as a change in growth rate, a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, and an increase in reactive oxygen species. A decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (DFm) may seriously impair cellular activity by interfering with the production of ATP. Thus, a deeper investigation of the effects of HMFs on mitochondrial function could provide clues to understanding the adverse effects of HMFs. In the present study, we used mouse macrophage RAW264 cells to investigate the effects of an HMF on mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial superoxide anion (O2-) production, and cell proliferation.
Highlights
Magnetic fields in inter-planetary space and on Mars and the Moon are at least ten times weaker than Earth’s geomagnetic field (GMF) (Kokhan et al, 2016)
Hypo-magnetic fields (HMFs) are static magnetic fields that are significantly weaker than the geomagnetic field and are found in interplanetary space, on Mars, and the Moon
We used mouse macrophage RAW264 cells to investigate the effects of an HMF on mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial superoxide anion (O2-) production, and cell proliferation
Summary
Magnetic fields in inter-planetary space and on Mars and the Moon are at least ten times weaker than Earth’s geomagnetic field (GMF) (Kokhan et al, 2016). Such weak fields are often called hypo-magnetic fields (HMFs). Several physiological effects of HMFs are known. They affect cardiovascular functions such as capillary blood pressure, blood circulation, and the duration of cardio intervals (Gurfinkel et al, 2016). Immune cells isolated from rats kept under HMF conditions (< 12 μT) for 6 months showed decreased release of nitric oxide and decreased synthesis of O2- (Roman and Tombarkiewicz, 2009), raising the concern that HMFs may adversely affect human health during long space missions. Another study showed that a < 3 μT HMF reduced the viability of skeletal muscle cells and was accompanied by a decline in mitochondrial functions (e.g., m; Fu et al, 2016b)
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