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Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the induction of genotoxic and cytotoxic effects in cultured human lymphocytes from healthy donors following combined exposure to a 50 Hz sinusoidal magnetic field (1 mT field intensity) and a chemical mutagen: mitomycin-C or hydroquinone. The induced effects were evaluated by applying the cytokinesis-block technique, because it offers the advantage of providing simultaneously information on both cell cycle progression (cytokinesis block proliferation index) and chromosomal damage (micronucleus frequency). The results obtained indicate that magnetic field exposure does not affect spontaneous micronucleus frequency, although a slight increase in cell proliferation was observed p = 0.031). Both mutagens induce a statistically significant increase in micronucleus frequency p = 0.0 and p = 0.016 for mitomycin-C and hydroquinone, respectively). Moreover, the combined exposure to both magnetic field and chemicals does not increase the damage due to the chemical treatments alone, both in terms of genotoxicity and cell proliferation (p > 0.05 in all cases), suggesting that, in the experimental condition adopted, no cooperative effects are induced.