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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
Isolation and Activation of Murine Lymphocytes
Published on: October 30, 2016
Reversible effect of MR and ELF magnetic fields (0.5 T and 0.5 mT) on human lymphocyte activation patterns
Sergio Salerno1, Carmela La Mendola, Antonio Lo Casto
1Dipartimento Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Legale -- Sez. Radiologia, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Sicily, Italy.
Purpose:
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of magnetic fields (MF) of different intensity generated by a magnetic resonance (MR) unit (0.5 Tesla) and a double cylindrical coil (0.5 m Tesla) on human CD4(+) T cell lines.
Materials And Methods:
CD4(+) T cells were exposed for two hours under isothermal conditions (37 +/- 0.5 degrees C) to the above mentioned MF; a control group was provided for each exposed sample. After exposure, the samples were analysed in the laboratory for the following endpoints: release of cytokines, expression of surface markers, cell proliferation and levels of cytosolic free-calcium.
Results:
Exposure to MF for 2 h and subsequent in vitro stimulation in the presence of the appropriate mitogen, caused a decrease of interferon-gamma production, a decrease of cell proliferation, a decrease of expression of CD25 and a decrease of cytosolic free calcium concentration in exposed CD4(+) T cell lines. Data obtained, were statistically significant when evaluated after 24 h of in vitro culture, but were not significant, for both types of MF, when the experimental groups were analysed after prolonged in vitro culture.
Conclusion:
These results indicate that static magnetic fields (SMF) can give rise to transient biological effects on T lymphocytes and the present system is a sensitive model for understanding the effects of MF on the immune system.
