title: The risk of lymphoma in AKR/J mice does not rise with chronic exposure to 50 Hz magnetic fields (1 microT and 100 microT).
abstract: Some epidemiological studies suggest that exposure to 50 or 60 Hz magnetic fields might increase the risk of leukemia, especially in children with a comparable high residential exposure. To investigate this possibility experimentally, the influence of 50 Hz magnetic-field exposure on lymphoma induction was determined in a mouse strain that is genetically predisposed to this disease. The AKR/J mouse genome carries the AK virus, which leads within 1 year to spontaneous development of thymic lymphoblastic lymphoma. Beginning at an age of 4-5 weeks, groups of 160 female mice were sham-exposed or exposed to 50 Hz magnetic fields at 1 or 100 microT for 24 h per day, 7 days per week, for 38 weeks. Animals were checked visually daily and were weighed and palpated weekly. There was no effect of magnetic-field exposure on body weight gain or survival rate, and lymphoma incidence did not differ between exposed and sham-exposed animals. Therefore, these data do not support the hypothesis that chronic exposure to 50 Hz magnetic fields is a significant risk factor for developing hematopoietic malignancy.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Science, International University Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Angela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lerchl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D015994:Incidence; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008280:Magnetics; D051379:Mice; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen