Strong static magnetic field delayed the early development of zebrafish

One of the major topics in magnetobiology is the biological effects of strong static magnetic field (SMF) on living organisms. However, there has been a paucity of the comprehensive study of the long-term effects of strong SMF on an animal's development. Here, we explored this question with zebrafish, an excellent model organism for developmental study. In our research, zebrafish eggs, just after fertilization, were exposed to a 9.0 T SMF for 24 h, the critical period of post-fertilization development from cleavage to segmentation. The effects of strong SMF exposure on the following developmental progress of zebrafish were studied until 6 days post-fertilization (dpf). Results showed that 9.0 T SMF exposure did not influence the survival or the general developmental scenario of zebrafish embryos. However, it slowed down the developmental pace of the whole animal, and the late developers would catch up with their control peers after the SMF was removed. We proposed a mechanical model and deduced that the development delaying effect was caused by the interference of SMF in microtubule and spindle positioning during mitosis, especially in early cleavages. Our research data provide insights into how strong SMF influences the developing organisms through basic physical interactions with intracellular macromolecules.