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Pulsed magnetic field from video display terminals enhances teratogenic effects of cytosine arabinoside in mice
Author(s) -
Chiang H.,
Wu R. Y.,
Shao B. J.,
Fu Y. D.,
Yao G. D.,
Lu D. J.
Publication year - 1995
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/bem.2250160113
Subject(s) - cytosine , magnetic field , computer science , physics , biology , genetics , dna , quantum mechanics
Eighty‐nine Swiss Webster mice were randomly divided into four groups: a control group, a pulsed magnetic field (PMF) group, a cytosine arabinoside (ara‐C, a teratogen) group, and, a combined PMF + ara‐C group. Mice in the PMF and PMF + ara‐C groups were irradiated with a PMF (a sawtooth waveform with 52 μs rise time, 12 μs decay time, and 15.6 kHz frequency) at a peak magnetic flux density of 40 μT for 4 hours daily on days 6–17 of gestation. The mice in the ara‐C and the PMF + ara‐C groups were injected intraperitoneally on day 9 of gestation with 10 mg/kg of ara‐C. The incidence of resorption and dead fetuses was not affected by PMF but was increased by ara‐C injection. The malformation incidence of cleft palate (CP) and/or cleft lip (CL) was significantly higher in all three of the treated groups than in the control group ( P < 0.05). If, however, statistical analyses had been done on litters rather than on individual fetuses, they would show that the incidence of CP and/or CL in the PMF group is not significantly greater than that in the control group. A significantly higher incidence of CP and/or CL was found in the PMF + ara‐C group (49%) than the ara‐C alone group (26.1%). These data suggest that PMF might enhance the development of ara‐C‐induced CP and/or CL. The incidence of minor variations in skeletal development, including reduction of skeletal calcification and loss of skeleton, was not statistically significant in the PMF group. However, it was higher in the two ara‐C‐treated groups, and there was no significant difference between the ara‐C alone group and the ara‐C + PMF group. From these results it is concluded that the very weak embryotoxic effects of PMF exposure may be revealed and enhanced in combination with a teratogenic agent. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.