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Increased dexamethasone‐induced apoptosis of thymocytes from mice exposed to long‐term extremely low frequency magnetic fields
Author(s) -
Ismael Sebastião J.,
Callera Fernando,
Garcia Aglair B.,
Baffa Oswaldo,
Falcão Roberto P.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
bioelectromagnetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.435
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-186X
pISSN - 0197-8462
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1521-186x(1998)19:2<131::aid-bem13>3.0.co;2-t
Subject(s) - dexamethasone , apoptosis , term (time) , medicine , immunology , physics , endocrinology , biology , genetics , quantum mechanics
To address the effect of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields on programmed cell death we assessed both the spontaneous and dexamethasone (Dex)‐induced apoptosis of thymocytes and spleen cells from mice submitted to a long‐term continuous exposure of a 0.4–1.0 μT 60 Hz magnetic field or an 8–20 μT direct current (DC) magnetic field. Dex‐induced apoptosis but not spontaneous apoptosis was substantially increased in thymocytes from 0.4 to 1.0 μT 60 Hz field‐exposed animals. Spontaneous apoptosis and Dex‐induced apoptosis of spleen cells were not affected by the 0.4–1.0 μT 60 Hz field exposure. In addition, spontaneous apoptosis and Dex‐induced apoptosis of thymocytes and spleen cells from mice exposed to an 8–20 μT DC field were similar to the controls. These findings represent the first demonstration that thymocytes from mice exposed to a long‐term 0.4–1.0 μT 60 Hz field may show abnormal response to Dex apoptotic stimuli. Bioelectromagnetics 19:131–135, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.