Abstract
Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been introduced to many hospitals as a useful diagnostic tool because they do not cause any injury or fatigue. A static magnetic field (SMF) is one of the key components of MRI. Although most MRI systems are made up of a magnet generating SMF at a magnetic flux density of 1.5 T, systems with a magnetic flux density of 3 T have recently been used for diagnosis, and MRI systems with a much higher magnetic flux density have been developed and applied for potential medical diagnostic use. However, few studies have been performed to evaluate the effects of SMFs on biological systems. On the other hand, two hundred million people worldwide suffered from diabetes in 2003, and the incidence is rapidly increasing. In diabetes, the loss of pancreatic beta-cell mass and function are crucial. In this study, we evaluated the effects of SMFs on insulin-secreting cells. INS-1 cells were exposed to SMFs at a magnetic flux density of 3, 6 or 10 T for 0.5, 1, or 2 hours. After exposure, the effects were assessed by WST-1 cell proliferation assay, measurement of cellular insulin content, and secreted insulin levels in culture medium during the exposure. No effects were observed under each exposure condition assessed by WST-1 cell proliferation assay and measurement of cellular insulin content. Insulin secretion during exposure was slightly decreased. These findings suggested that the effects of SMFs on insulin-secreting cells were littele.
