The effect of strong static magnetic field on lymphocytes

TLDR

The study aimed to determine whether a 4.75 T static magnetic field from an NMR apparatus could influence calcium signaling, proliferation, and cytokine production in human PBMCs and Jurkat cells, including PHA‑activated cells. To test this, PBMCs and Jurkat cells were exposed to the field for 1 h, and subsequent changes in Ca²⁺ levels, proliferation, and cytokine secretion were measured. The results showed no proliferative, activating, or proinflammatory effects on normal or PHA‑activated PBMCs, while Jurkat cells exhibited reduced proliferation and intracellular Ca²⁺, consistent with lower IL‑2, indicating that NMRF alters membrane properties and Ca²⁺ homeostasis but leaves normal lymphocytes unaffected. Bioelectromagnetics 24:109–117, 2003; © 2003 Wiley‑Liss, Inc.

Abstract

Abstract We investigated whether static electromagnetic fields (EMFs) at a flux density of 4.75 T, generated by an NMR apparatus (NMRF), could promote movements of Ca 2+ , cell proliferation, and the eventual production of proinflammatory cytokines in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) as well as in Jurkat cells, after exposure to the field for 1 h. The same study was also performed after activation of cells with 5 mg/ml phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). Our results clearly demonstrate that static NMRF exposure has neither proliferative, nor activating, nor proinflammatory effects on both normal and PHA activated PBMC. Moreover, the concentration of interleukin‐1β, interleukin‐2, interleukin‐6, interferon, and tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) remained unvaried in exposed cells. Exposure of Jurkat cells statistically decreased the proliferation and the proliferation indexes, which 24 and 48 h after exposure were 0.7 ± 0.29 and 0.87 ± 0.12, respectively. Moreover, in Jurkat cells the [Ca 2+ ] i was higher than in PBMC and was reduced significantly to about one half after exposure. This is consistent with the decrease of proliferation and with the low levels of IL‐2 measured. On the whole, our data suggest that NMRF exposure failed to affect the physiologic behaviour of normal lymphomonocytes. Instead in Jurkat cells, by changing the properties of cell membranes, NMRF can influence Ca 2+ transport processes, and hence Ca 2+ homeostasis with improvement of proliferation. Bioelectromagnetics 24:109–117, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.