Acute exposure to a 60 Hz magnetic field increases DNA strand breaks in rat brain cells

Henry Lai *, Narendra P. Singh

Bioelectromagnetics Research Laboratory, Center for Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle

^*Correspondence to Henry Lai, Center for Bioengineering, Box 337962, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195

 

Funded by:
 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Grant Number: ES-06290

Keywords

60 Hz magnetic fields • DNA single-strand and double-strand breaks • brain cells • microgel electrophoresis

Abstract

Acute (2 h) exposure of rats to a 60 Hz magnetic field (flux densities 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 mT) caused a dose-dependent increase in DNA strand breaks in brain cells of the animals (assayed by a microgel electrophoresis method at 4 h postexposure). An increase in single-strand DNA breaks was observed after exposure to magnetic fields of 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 mT, whereas an increase in double-strand DNA breaks was observed at 0.25 and 0.5 mT. Because DNA strand breaks may affect cellular functions, lead to carcinogenesis and cell death, and be related to onset of neurodegenerative diseases, our data may have important implications for the possible health effects of exposure to 60 Hz magnetic fields. Bioelectromagnetics 18:156-165, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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Received: 10 January 1996; Revised: 1 July 1996

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1002/(SICI)1521-186X(1997)18:2<156::AID-BEM8>3.0.CO;2-1  About DOI