Effect of Whole-Body Exposure to an Alternating Magnetic Field on LDL-Cholesterol in Rabbits

Abstract

The effect of an alternating magnetic field on cholesterol metabolism in rabbits was investigated. With four commercial electromagnets of 0.08 T (800 Gauss) in magnetic intensity on the coil surface, a whole-body alternating magnetic field was applied to nine rabbits 4 hours a day for 5 consecutive days. The average magnetic field strength to which the rabbit's liver was exposed was approximately 2 to 7 mT (20 to 70 G) . After exposure to the alternating magnetic field, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol decreased (p<0.05 ), and the HDL/LDL cholesterol ratio increased (p<0.05) compared with controls of no magnetic field exposure. However, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels did not change. We conclude that an alternating magnetic field affects the LDL cholesterol system clearly and decreases the level of LDL cholesterol.