Extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields enhance chemically induced formation of apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites in A172 cells

Abstract

Purpose: To detect the effects of extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields, the number of apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites in human glioma A172 cells was measured following exposure to ELF magnetic fields.

Materials and methods: The cells were exposed to an ELF magnetic field alone, to genotoxic agents (methyl methane sulfonate (MMS) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)) alone, or to an ELF magnetic field with the genotoxic agents. After exposure, DNA was extracted, and the number of AP sites was measured.

Results: There was no difference in the number of AP sites between cells exposed to an ELF magnetic field and sham controls. With MMS or H₂O₂ alone, the number of AP sites increased with longer treatment times. Exposure to an ELF magnetic field in combination with the genotoxic agents increased AP-site levels compared with the genotoxic agents alone.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that the number of AP sites induced by MMS or H₂O₂ is enhanced by exposure to ELF magnetic fields at 5 millitesla (mT). This may occur because such exposure can enhance the activity or lengthen the lifetime of radical pairs.

Keywords:

• DNA damage
• non-ionizing radiations
• reactive oxygen species