The effect of 2.1 T static magnetic field on astrocyte viability and morphology

The viability and a number of morphological properties of in situ astrocytes of rat spinal cord cultures including changes in surface area and migration of both cell body and nucleus were investigated at magnetic field intensities comparable to those currently used for magnetic resonance imaging. Viability of rat spinal astrocytes was studied after up to 72 hours of 2.1T static magnetic field exposure. Surface areas and two-dimensional centroids of both soma and nucleus after 2 hours of magnetic field exposure were determined and compared with those of the same cells before magnetic field exposure. Cell membrane ruffling was quantified using fractal analysis. Viability of astrocytes remained unchanged at 4, 16, 24, 48 and 72 hours. The mean soma area before and after 2 hours of field exposure was 6450 microm(2) and 6299 microm(2), respectively, whereas the values for nuclear area were 185.6 microm(2) and 185.7 microm(2). The mean displacement of the centroid of soma parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field direction was 1.07 microm and 0.78 microm, respectively. The corresponding quantities for nuclei were 0.29 microm and -2.00 microm. None of these changes were statistically significant. No membrane protrusion was observed by fractal analysis. In conclusion, strong static magnetic field at 2.1 T does not significantly affect the viability and morphological properties of rat astrocytes.