A gross morphologic, histologic, hematologic, and blood chemistry study of adult and neonatal mice chronically exposed to high magnetic fields.
Six sets of Charles River CD-1 mice (3 sets of adults and 3 sets of offspring: 156 mice total) were raised for varying times (360 h over 1 month to 624 h over 3 months) in a 1.89-T magnetic field. Each set was divided into 3 groups: control group raised in the animal facility (Control); control group raised in the magnet room but not in the magnet (Magnet-Controls); experimental group raised in the magnet (Magnet). At the end of each predefined exposure period, the mice were euthanized and studied. Body and organ weights were lower in 3 of 6 sets in the Magnet groups when compared to Control groups, but they were not significantly different from age matched, sex matched Magnet-Controls. This seems to indicate that the decreased growth of mice was due to the laboratory environment surrounding the magnet, when compared to the animal facility environment, rather than to magnetic field effects. No consistent differences were found in gross and microscopic morphology, hematocrit and white blood cell counts, plasma creatine phosphokinase, lactic dehydrogenase, cholesterol, triglyceride, or protein concentrations in Magnet groups compared to the two control groups.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008280:Magnetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009929:Organ Size; D011846:Radio Waves / Q000009:adverse effects