title: Spontaneous and mitomycin-C-induced micronuclei in human lymphocytes exposed to extremely low frequency pulsed magnetic fields.
abstract: The cytokinesis block micronucleus method, a very sensitive cytogenetic assay, was used to ascertain the possible genotoxic effects of extremely low frequency pulsed magnetic fields in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human lymphocytes cultures from 16 healthy donors. Four conditions were studied: i) lymphocytes not exposed to the field (control cultures); ii) lymphocytes exposed to the field; iii) lymphocytes treated with mitomycin-C and not exposed to the field; iv) lymphocytes treated with mitomycin-C and exposed to the field. Mitomycin-C-treated cultures were used as control for the micronucleus method, because it is known that mitomycin-C is a potent genotoxic agent, capable of inducing micronuclei. The frequency of micronuclei in field-exposed cultures was similar to the spontaneous frequency observed in control unexposed-cultures. Moreover, the exposure to pulsed magnetic fields did not affect the frequency of micronuclei induced by mitomycin-C, suggesting that, in the experimental conditions used, this kind of field neither affected the integrity of chromosomes nor interfered with the genotoxic activity of mitomycin-C.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ricerca per l'Elettromagnetismo e i Componenti Elettronici Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Scarfi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bersani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cossarizza
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Monti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Castellani
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cadossi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Franceschetti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Franceschi
mesh_terms: D000477:Alkylating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D008280:Magnetics; D048629:Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D016685:Mitomycin; D008937:Mitomycins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000477:Alkylating Agents; D008937:Mitomycins; D016685:Mitomycin