Effects of exposure to a 128-mT static magnetic field on glucose and lipid metabolism in serum and skeletal muscle of rats.
OBJECTIVE
Increasing environmental pollution may participate in the growing incidence of metabolic disorders. Static magnetic fields (SMFs) are an emerging environmental health issue due to increased exposure in residential and commercial areas; however, their metabolic effects in serum and skeletal muscle are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of SMF exposure on glucose and lipid metabolism in serum and skeletal muscles of rats.


METHODS
Twelve 6- to 7-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups: rats exposed to 128 mT SMF and sham-exposed rats. This moderate-intensity exposure was performed for 1 h/day for 15 consecutive days.


RESULTS
Animals exposed to 128 mT SMF displayed significant changes in both glucose (i.e., increases in plasma glucose and lactate and decrease in plasma insulin levels) and lipid (i.e., increases in plasma glycerol, cholesterol and phospholipids but not triglyceride levels) metabolism. During intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests, SMF-exposed rats displayed significantly higher hyperglycemia compared to sham-exposed rats despite similar insulin levels in both groups. In tissues, SMF exposure induced significant alterations in enzyme activities only in glycolytic muscles and caused a significant decrease in quadriceps and liver glycogen content together with increased phospholipid levels.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides evidence that subacute SMF exposure of moderate intensity induces important alterations of glucose and lipid metabolisms, which deserve further investigations to evaluate long-term consequences.
Elferchichi
Miryam
M
Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Laboratoire de Physiologie Intégrée, Jarzouna, Tunisia.
Mercier
Jacques
J
Coisy-Quivy
Marjorie
M
Metz
Lore
L
Lajoix
Anne-Dominique
AD
Gross
Rene
R
Belguith
Hatem
H
Abdelmelek
Hafedh
H
Sakly
Mohsen
M
Lambert
Karen
K
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008280:Magnetics; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D006003:Glycogen; D005947:Glucose