A study of magnetic field effects on fibroblast cultures part 3. The evaluation of the effects of static and extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields on glycosaminoglycan metabolism in fibroblasts, cell coats and culture medium

Abstract

Cultures of fibroblasts isolated from murine liver by the method of tissue trypsinization were exposed to a static magnetic field (0.49 T) and an extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic field (50 Hz, 0.020 T). The cultures were exposed to magnetic fields for exposure periods of 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 min on four consecutive days. During the experiment we investigated the glycosaminoglycans isolated from the fibroblast, their coats and the culture medium. The investigations concerned heparan sulphate (DS) and chondroitin sulphates (CS). The changes observed in the fibroblast cultures exposed to ELF magnetic field suggest an increase in sulphate ion content in the glycosaminoglycans investigated, i.e. increased synthesis of the compounds. The ELF magnetic field also affects the degree of glycosaminoglycan sulphatization. Some changes in the quantitative relations between HS, DS and CS were also noted. The static magnetic field had no effect on glycosaminoglycan metabolism, i.e. there were no alterations in incorporation of labeled sulphur into sulphate glycosaminoglycans.