title: Increased mouse survival, tumor growth inhibition and decreased immunoreactive p53 after exposure to magnetic fields.
abstract: The possibility that magnetic fields (MF) cause antitumor activity in vivo has been investigated. Two different experiments have been carried out on nude mice bearing a subcutaneous human colon adenocarcinoma (WiDr). In the first experiment, significant increase in survival time (31%) was obtained in mice exposed daily to 70 min modulated MF (static with a superimposition of 50 Hz) having a time average total intensity of 5.5 mT. In the second independent experiment, when mice bearing tumors were exposed to the same treatment for four consecutive weeks, significant inhibition of tumor growth (40%) was reported, together with a decrement in tumor cell mitotic index and proliferative activity. A significant increase in apoptosis was found in tumors of treated animals, together with a reduction in immunoreactive p53 expression. Gross pathology at necroscopy, hematoclinical/hematological and histological examination did not show any adverse or abnormal effects. Since pharmacological rescue of mutant p53 conformation has been recently demonstrated, the authors suggest that MF exposure may obtain a similar effect by acting on redox chemistry connected to metal ions which control p53 folding and its DNA-binding activity. These findings support further investigation aimed at the potential use of magnetic fields as anti-cancer agents.
authors.affiliation: Ivrea Hospital ASL n. 9, Ivrea (TO), Italy. fisicasan@asl.ivre.to.it
authors.forename: Santi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tofani
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cintorino
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barone
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berardelli
authors.forename: Maria Margherita
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: De Santi
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.forename: Renzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Orlassino
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ossola
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rolfo
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ronchetto
authors.forename: Sergio Antonio
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Tripodi
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tosi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D008280:Magnetics; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008940:Mitotic Index; D023421:Models, Animal; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D015996:Survival Rate; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53