Infrared spectroscopic demonstration of magnetic orientation in SH-SY5Y neuronal-like cells induced by static or 50 Hz magnetic fields

Abstract

Purpose: To study the response of neuronal-like cells to an applied static or low-frequency magnetic field.Materials and methods: Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy was used to investigate the overall behavior of SH-SY5Y neuronal-like cells exposed to a static or 50 Hz magnetic fields at intensities up to 1 mT generated by two Helmholtz coils driven by direct current or alternate current voltage. The Helmholtz coils were placed into an incubator in a 5% CO2/95% air humidified at 37 °C.Results: A significant increase in intensity of the Amide I band and of CH2 stretching vibrations in neuronal-like FTIR spectra appeared after 6 h exposure to static or 50 Hz magnetic fields.Conclusions: These findings can be easily explained assuming that proteins α-helices and lipids contents in cellular membrane aligned toward the direction of the applied magnetic field after exposure, inducing an increase of ions flux across cellular membrane channels after exposure to a magnetic field, changing cellular functions.