title: Induction of increase in intracellular calcium concentration of embryonic cells and acceleration of morphogenetic cell movements during amphibian gastrulation by a 50-Hz magnetic field.
abstract: The influence of an alternating electromagnetic field (EMF) on early development of amphibian embryos was examined. When the embryos developed under the influence of a low-frequency EMF (50 Hz, 5-30 mT), the rate of early development was accelerated. The effect of EMF was exerted preferentially at the gastrula stage, and the period of gastrulation was shortened. Histological observations showed that EMF promoted morphogenetic cell movements during the gastrulation. The concentration of intracellular free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in the embryonic cells under the influence of EMF was analyzed using Fura-2, an indicator of the intracellular concentration of calcium ions. The influence of EMF on [Ca2+]i was analyzed in embryonic cells isolated from blastula, gastrula, and neurula, EMF increased a [Ca2+]i particularly in the cells isolated from gastrula. Our results suggest that EMF specifically increased the [Ca2+]i of gastrula cells, thereby, accelerating the rate of morphogenetic cell movements during gastrulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Saitama Medical School, Moroyama, Iruma, Saitama 350-0495, Japan. komazaki@saitama-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Komazaki
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000528:radiation effects; D005775:Gastrula / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D014562:Caudata / Q000196:embryology*
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium