50 Hz magnetic fields of varying flux intensity affect cell shape changes in invertebrate immunocytes: The role of potassium ion channels

✍ Scribed by Enzo Ottaviani; Davide Malagoli; Alex Ferrari; Davide Tagliazucchi; Angela Conte; Fabriziomaria Gobba

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2002
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 156 KB
• Volume: 23
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0197-8462
• DOI: 10.1002/bem.10021

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The effect induced by exposure to 50 Hz magnetic fields (MFs) in immunocytes from the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis is evaluated. The whole animal was exposed for 15 and 30 min to MF intensities ranging from 200 to 1,000 μT. The changes in the cellular shape of immunocytes, expressed as shape factor (SF), were studied at different times after addition of the chemotacting substance N‐formyl‐Meth‐Leu‐Phe (fMLP). Results show that MFs provoke differing delays in fMLP‐induced cellular shape changes: 200 μT are ineffective, while levels from 300 μT upwards cause a significant increase in immunocyte SF values compared to controls. Reactivation of the cells is possible up to an intensity of 600 μT. The use of PCO 400, an opener of ATP‐sensitive K^+^ channels, shows that potassium channels are involved in the effect of MFs on M. galloprovincialis immunocytes. Bioelectromagnetics 23:292–297, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.