Effects of a time-varying magnetic field on intracellular organelles of bovine adrenal chromaffin cells in culture.

Abstract

We tested the effects of exposure to a switched 1.5 Tesla magnetic field on transient increase in intracellular Ca²⁺ stimulated by neurotransmitters in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. [Ca²⁺]i was increased transiently by addition of acetylcholine (ACh) in Ca²⁺-free medium and the ACh-induced increase was inhibited significantly by 2 hr-exposure to the magnetic field. The exposure caused not only to decrease the peak value but also to slow the decay phase of [Ca²⁺]i after peak. Delay of the decay phase was also caused by addition of KCN in the presence of ACh. The intracellular ATP content and oxygen consumption were influenced by the exposure in glucose-free medium. Measurement of mitochondrial membrane potential by using fluorescent probe, JC-1 (Molecular Probe), showed depolarization of the membrane in both cells exposed to antimycin and the magnetic field. The cellular content of F-actin stained with fluorescent probe (Alexa fluor 488 phalloidin) was also decreased by the exposure. These effects of magnetic field would be related to the eddy current. [J Physiol Sci. 2006;56 Suppl:S110]