Effects of extremely low-frequency magnetic field on growth and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells

Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hMSCs) were exposed to a developed extremely low-frequency (ELF) magnetic fields (50 Hz ,20 mT ELF) system to evaluate whether exposure to (ELF) magnetic fields affects growth, metabolism, and differentiation of hMSCs. MTT method was used to determine the growth and metabolism of hMSCs following exposure to ELF magnetic fields. Na(+)/K(+) concentration and osmolality of extracellular were measured after exposured culture. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay and Calcium assay, ALP staining, and Alizarin red staining were performed to evaluate the osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs under the ELF magnetic field exposure. In these experiments, the cells were exposed to ELF for up to 23 days. The results showed that exposure to ELF magnetic field could inhibit the growth and metabolism of hMSC, but have no significant effect on differentiation of hMSCs. These results suggested that ELF magnetic field may influence the early development of hMSCs related adult cells.