title: Developmental effects of perinatal exposure to extremely weak 7 Hz magnetic fields and nitric oxide modulation in the Wistar albino rat.
abstract: Prenatal exposure of pregnant dams to oscillating magnetic fields can cause behavioural deficits in their offspring which persist into adulthood. These changes are waveform-specific and may involve nitric oxide. To investigate the interaction between nitric oxide modulation and perinatal magnetic fields, dams were exposed from 2 days before to 14 days after birth to one of six magnetic field conditions (1, 5, 10, 50 or 500 nT or sham) and given either water, 1g/L nitric oxide precursor l-arginine or 0.5 g/L nitric oxide synthase inhibitor n-methylarginine. At weaning (22d), their offspring were placed in the open field for observation. Rats given 50 nT field or 500 nT field+water were hyperactive and showed increased rearing and bodyweight. These strong effects were attenuated or absent in groups given 50 or 500 nT field+n-methylarginine. Groups given sham field+l-arginine were behaviourally similar to animals given 50 or 500 nT field+water. Higher intensity fields showed robust behavioural and physiological effects. In general, these effects were counteracted by co-administration of nitric oxide synthase inhibitor n-methylarginine, which had little effect on its own. Shams given NO precursor l-arginine were highly similar to those given any higher intensity magnetic field. Results support a critical developmental role of NO and the involvement of NO in magnetic field effects.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Canada.
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Whissell
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Persinger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D003672:Defecation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006120:Grooming / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D009420:Nervous System / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I