Static magnetic field induces abnormality of glucose metabolism in rats’ brain and results in anxiety-like behavior

Abstract

In this study, fifty-four male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups according to the static magnetic field (SMF) intensity, namely, control, low-intensity, moderate-intensity, and high-intensity groups. The rats' whole body was exposed to a superconducting magnet exposure source. The exposure SMF intensity for the low-intensity, moderate-intensity, and high-intensity groups was 50 m T, 100 m T, and 200 m T, respectively, and the exposure time was 1 h/day for consecutive 15 days. After different exposure times, glucose metabolism in rats' brain was evaluated by micro-positron emission tomography (micro-PET), and the expression of hexokinase 1(HK1) and 6-phosphate fructokinase-1(PFK1) was detected by western blot. The exploration and locomotion abilities of the rats were evaluated by conducting open field test (OFT). Furthermore, pathological changes of rats' brain were observed under a microscope by using hematoxylin–eosin staining. PET results showed that moderate-intensity SMFs could cause fluctuant changes in glucose metabolism in rats' brain and the abnormalities were SMF intensity dependent. The expression of the two rate-limiting enzymes HK1 and PFK1 in glucose metabolism in brain significantly decreased after SMF exposure. The OFT showed that the total distance, surrounding distance, activity time, and climbing and standing times significantly decreased after SMF exposure. The main pathological changes in the brain were pyknosis, edema of neurons, and slight widening of the perivascular space, which occurred after 15 times of exposure. This study indicated that SMF exposure could lead to abnormal glucose metabolism in the brain and might result in anxiety-like behaviors.