Effect of Pulsed Magnetic Fields on the Cytotoxicity of Mice Peritoneal Macrophages

Abstract

The cytotoxicity of mice peritoneal macrophages was studied in vitro in order to look for a change in their functional activity when they were exposed to pulsed magnetic fields (PMF) such as those used in therapy. The macrophages were exposed for 1 h to a 12 Hz or a 460 Hz 6 mT PFM and then put in a suspension of labeled EL4 cells. The cytotoxicity was increased for the 1/200 concentration of the target cells relative to the macrophages. But in seven experiments that took place over 8 months, the increase of cytotoxicity was significant only three times. This fact suggests a temporal change in the cell sensitivity to PMF.