title: Effect of 0.2 T static magnetic field on human neurons: remodeling and inhibition of signal transduction without genome instability.
abstract: We describe the effect of the static magnetic field generated by a 0.2 T magnetic resonance tomograph on a normal human neuronal cell culture (FNC-B4). After 15 min exposure cells showed dramatic changes of morphology: they formed vortexes of cells and exposed branched neurites featuring synaptic buttons. At the same time, thymidine incorporation and inositol lipid signaling were significantly reduced. Control (sham exposed) or non-neuronal cells (mouse leukemia, and human breast carcinoma cells) did not show any alteration following exposure. Endothelin-1 release from FNC-B4 cells was also dramatically reduced after 5 min exposure. However, PCR analysis of 12 DNA microsatellites selected as gauges of genome instability, did not reveal any alteration following exposure, thus ruling out a direct effect of the magnetic field on DNA stability. These data can be interpreted as a specific effect of the static magnetic field on human neuronal cells and are consistent with the induction of remodeling and differentiation; they demonstrate that fields below 0.5 T have significant biological effects on human neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Firenze at the Careggi General Hospital, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pacini
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Vannelli
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruggiero
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sardi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pacini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gulisano
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D004249:DNA Damage; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000009:adverse effects; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000528:radiation effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured