Mutagenesis, Vol. 16, No. 6, 499-501,
November 2001
© 2001 UK Environmental Mutagen Society/Oxford University Press
Induction of micronuclei in mice exposed to static magnetic fields
Department of Public Health and Environmental Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishishinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8461 and 1 Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Railway Technical Research Institute, 2-8-38 Hikari, Kokubunji, Tokyo 187-8540, Japan
The aim of this experiment was to investigate whether static magnetic fields (SMFs) have cytogenetic effects in mouse bone marrow cells. The frequency of micronuclei was significantly increased by exposure of mice to 3.0 T for 48 and 72 h and 4.7 T for 24, 48 and 72 h. The increase in micronucleus frequency was dose dependent at all times. Micronucleus frequency at 4.7 T was higher than at 3.0 T. We consider that the increased numbers of micronuclei may be attributable to a stress reaction caused by SMFs or a direct clastogenic/spindle disturbance effect of SMFs.
2 To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +81 3 3433 1111; Fax: +81 3 3431 6029; Email: hshimizu{at}jikei.ac.jp